Honeycomb Pasta Bake

a Honeycomb Pasta Cake on a wooden board garnished with chopped basil.

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Have you seen the Honeycomb Pasta Cake trending on social media? See why some love and some love to hate when pasta is placed vertical and baked into a cake-like creation.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 464kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1 pound Rigatoni pasta cooked to al dente according to package directions
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups marinara sauce divided
3½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning blend
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375* F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil cooking spray on the sides and bottom of the inside of the pan. Place the pan onto a large sheet tray. This will make it easy to transport the springform pan to and from the oven as well as catching any sauce that may seep out from the springform pan as the honeycomb pasta bakes. Set aside.
Cook the rigatoni pasta, according to package directions, to al dente. Drain the pasta then return the cooked pasta to the pot it was cooked in. Add the olive oil to the pasta and toss to coat all the pasta with the oil. Allow the pasta to cool for 3-4 minutes or until you can handle the pasta easily.
1 pound Rigatoni pasta, 2 tablespoons olive oil
Place the rigatoni pasta, standing straight up, in the springform pan until all the noodles look like they have created a honeycomb.
Spoon 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the open holes of the rigatoni noodles gently easing the sauce into the openings of the noodles.
3 cups marinara sauce
Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella into as many of the open noodle spaces as possible. Try to evenly disperse the shredded cheese into the noodle openings.
3½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the surface of the pasta trying to get as much as you can into the noodle openings. Top the grated parmesan cheese with the dried Italian seasoning blend.
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning blend
Spread the remaining marinara sauce evenly over the rigatoni noodles, followed by adding the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese to evenly cover the entire surface of the honeycomb pasta bake.
Cover the honeycomb pasta with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Remove the honeycomb pasta bake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly, and set-up, for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the springform pan, then open the latch of the springform pan to remove the outer ring.
Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped basil then slice like a cake to serve.
1 tablespoon fresh basil

Notes

Storage:

Make Ahead: You can assemble this dish ahead of time, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator, allow the assembled honeycomb pasta to come to room temperature while the oven preheats then bake according to recipe directions.
In The Fridge: You can transfer leftovers to an airtight container, and refrigerate, for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or the microwave.
In The Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this pasta cake; it doesn’t hold it’s shape well.

Tips:

If you do not have olive oil cooking spray, you can easily use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the springform pan with olive oil before filling it with the pasta. This ensures that the pasta does not stick to the pan when the outer ring is removed.
I highly recommend you place the pan onto a large sheet tray before you begin. This will make it easy to transport the springform pan to and from the oven as well as catching any sauce that may seep out from the springform pan as the honeycomb pasta bakes.

Nutrition