Honeycomb Pasta Cheese Bake (Printable)

Baked rigatoni tubes filled with creamy cheese, topped with marinara and golden melted mozzarella.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb rigatoni

→ Cheese Filling

02 - 12 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 3.5 oz grated mozzarella cheese
04 - 1.75 oz grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
07 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

10 - 24 oz marinara sauce
11 - 5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tbsp olive oil

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or deep round baking pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
02 - Boil rigatoni in salted water until almost al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - In a medium bowl, blend ricotta, grated mozzarella, grated Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth.
04 - Stand rigatoni upright in the prepared pan, fitting tightly to fill the entire space.
05 - Transfer cheese mixture into a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner cut off and pipe filling into each rigatoni tube.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the filled pasta tubes, gently tapping the pan to help the sauce settle between them.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the sauce.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese topping is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Allow to rest 10 minutes before releasing the pan and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Every bite feels intentional—the cheese filling is actually inside the pasta, not just scattered on top.
  • It's a showstopper that looks far more complicated than it actually is.
  • The rigatoni tubes create natural pockets that trap sauce and seasoning, so every forkful tastes complete.
02 -
  • Don't fully cook the pasta—undercook it slightly or it'll turn mushy in the oven when it absorbs sauce and heat.
  • Pack those tubes tightly together; loose tubes will topple sideways and ruin the whole visual, which is half the fun of this dish.
  • The filling should be spreadable but not runny; if your egg made it too wet, drain some liquid or add a bit more cheese.
03 -
  • Use a piping bag instead of a spoon—it's faster, less messy, and ensures every tube gets filled evenly.
  • Don't skip the 10-minute rest after baking; it keeps the whole bake from collapsing into itself when you slice.
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