This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
This stuffed rigatoni pasta pie is one of those recipes that looks much harder to make than it actually is. Each rigatoni is filled with a creamy ricotta and parmesan mixture, stood upright in a springform pan, and topped with a hearty beef and tomato sauce and plenty of mozzarella. I love the honeycomb look when you cut into it, and all those upright pasta tubes make sure you get cheese and sauce in every slice. It takes a little patience to assemble, but the finished pasta pie is definitely worth showing off.
Everyone will want a slice of this tasty pasta pie recipe and some will want a second! It’s a meaty, cheese pasta bake with rigatoni made in a pie style.
Why You’ll Love It
Everyone will want a slice of this tasty pasta pie recipe and some will want a second! It’s a meaty, cheese pasta bake with rigatoni made in a pie style.
That honeycomb look: Standing the rigatoni upright gives this pasta pie its signature look, and it’s especially impressive once you cut the first slice.
Ricotta in every bite: I love that the ricotta mixture is piped right into the rigatoni instead of simply being layered between the pasta and sauce.
Made for sharing: This isn’t my quickest pasta recipe, but it’s a fun one to bring to the table when you want dinner to feel a little more special.
Also try pastitsio Greek lasagna, smoked Italian pasta salad, beef stuffed pasta shells, sweet potato tater tots, sausage gumbo or pasta with spinach.
Italian Pasta Pie Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below
Rigatoni: Choose sturdy rigatoni with wide openings because you’ll be piping ricotta into each one and standing them upright. Cook the pasta only to al dente so the tubes are firm enough to fill and arrange without tearing.
Ricotta cheese: Whole milk ricotta gives the filling a rich, creamy texture. If yours is especially watery, drain off the excess liquid before mixing the filling so it’s easier to pipe.
Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan works best in the ricotta filling. Keep it finely grated so it passes easily through the opening in the piping bag instead of clogging it.
How to Make Baked a Pasta Pie Recipe
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card
Cook the pasta: Follow the instructions on the package and cook the pasta to al dente, then drain.
Cook the beef: Cook the beef in a pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and then drain off the fat once it’s browned all over. Set it aside in a bowl.
Soften the onion and garlic: Add oil to the same pot and cook the onion until soft and then the garlic for another minute.
Finish the sauce: Add the tomatoes to the pot and add the meat back in. Add the herbs, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make the cheese filling: Mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, parmesan, fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Transfer this mixture into a pastry bag and snip off the corner.
Prepare the noodles: Fill each noodle with some of the ricotta mixture and then arrange the filled pasta in a springform pan facing upwards.
Add the toppings: Add some mozzarella on top and then add the sauce on top. Finish with the rest of the mozzarella.
Cook the pasta pie: Loosely cover it with foil and bake the pie for half an hour. Discard the foil and give it another 15 minutes, giving it a final broil if necessary.
Cool and serve: Let it sit for 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the springform pan and serve in slices with fresh basil and parmesan. Serve any remaining sauce with it too.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use your favorite type of gluten-free rigatoni pasta.
Manicotti instead of rigatoni: Manicotti is larger than rigatoni and would also work, although you’d need to trim the tops so it isn’t taller than the pan edges.
Add some heat: Add the optional red pepper flakes to the meat sauce if you like a little kick. I prefer just enough to balance the richness of all that cheese without making the sauce noticeably spicy.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: As this pie with pasta is a rich and hearty dish, you’ll want to serve light appetizers such as watermelon feta cucumber salad, chicken enchilada soup, or a zoodles salad.
Side dishes: If you don’t mind a lot of carbs, garlic bread is beautiful with pasta recipes. If you prefer a contrast, consider Italian wedding soup, but keep the portions small(ish!)
How to Store Italian Baked Pasta Pie
Store: Refrigerate leftover pasta pie in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Reheat individual slices in the microwave or cover and warm them in the oven until hot.
Top Tips
Don’t overcook the rigatoni: Keep it firmly al dente because the pasta still has to be filled, stood upright and baked for another 45 minutes. Softer rigatoni is much harder to work with and can collapse or tear while you’re assembling the pie.
Tilt the pan while you fill it: Leaning the springform pan at about a 45-degree angle makes arranging the rigatoni much easier. Start filling from the lowest side and let the pasta support the pieces you add as you work your way up.
Finely grate the parmesan: Large shreds can clog the small opening in your piping bag. I like the parmesan finely grated so the ricotta mixture pipes easily into the narrow rigatoni.
Fill the rigatoni before arranging it: I find it easier to see how much ricotta is going into each tube when I fill the pasta first. Once the rigatoni is packed tightly into the pan, it’s harder to tell whether you’ve filled each one completely.
Put the springform pan on a baking sheet: Don’t skip this step. The baking sheet catches any sauce or cheese that might escape from the springform pan while the pasta pie bakes.
Don’t skip the resting time: Give the pasta pie the full 15 minutes before removing the springform ring. It needs that time to settle so the rigatoni holds together better when you slice it.
Honeycomb Pasta Pie FAQs
You might or you might not. If you do, you can use them in other dishes, perhaps tossing with cooked rice or adding to an omelet. It’s better to end up with too much rather than not enough, right?
The 45-degree pan trick makes this much easier. I lean the springform pan against a sturdy bowl and start arranging the filled rigatoni at the lowest side. As you add more pasta, the pieces support each other until the pan is full enough to stand upright on its own.
Ricotta Stuffed Rigatoni Pie Recipe
Stuffed Rigatoni Pasta Pie
Equipment
- Pot Large
- Skillet Large
- Springform Pan 8-Inch
Ingredients
- 10 Ounces rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente as per package instructions
For the Sauce
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ Cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 Cloves garlic, large, minced
- 14 Ounces diced tomatoes, petite diced
- 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes
- 14 Ounces tomato sauce
- 2 Teaspoons dried basil
- 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
For the Cheese Filling
- 15 Ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ Cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
For the Topping
- 2 Cups mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
To Garnish
- fresh basil, chopped
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Cook the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it into smaller pieces. Cook until browned, then remove from the pan and drain any fat. Set the cooked ground beef aside in a separate bowl.
- In the same large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, for approximately 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Mix to combine, then add all the herbs. Bring the complete sauce to a low boil, then simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the Cheese Filling:
- In a small mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, salt, and pepper and combine. Scoop the cheese mixture into a pastry bag without a tip or a Ziploc bag, then snip a small corner off the bag to help pipe this mix into each cooked rigatoni.
Prepare the Noodles
- Grease the inside of an 8-inch springform pan with some nonstick cooking spray. Tilt the greased springform pan on its side at a 45-degree angle (it helps to have it leaning against a heavy duty bowl or glass to accomplish this angle).
- Fill each rigatoni from one end using the pastry/plastic bag of ricotta filling. Stand the filled pasta in the greased springform pan, starting at the bottom (the end leaning on the table). Once all the noodles are filled and stacked in the springform, there will be a small space at the “top” of the pan.
- To even the noodles inside the pan and make room for cheese and sauce, make a small space in the center using your non-dominant hand while gently holding the filled noodles upright with your dominant hand and shifting the noodles out to fill the springform pan and any gaps.
- Place the springform pan flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Finish the Pie
- Sprinkle a few tablespoons of mozzarella cheese over the filled pasta, and gently twist the springform pan back and forth to encourage the cheese to fill into the crevices.
- Pour 1 or 2 cups of the sauce over the pasta, and using the back of a spoon, push the sauce around to fill in between the pieces of pasta. Pour another 1 cup of sauce over the pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake It
- Loosely cover the pasta pie with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes until the cheese is cooked through.
- Change the oven temperature to low broil and finish the pasta pie for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Broil for a couple of minutes if needed.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing the springform sides. Slice and garnish with fresh chopped basil and grated parmesan.
- Serve with the remaining sauce.
Notes
Tilt the pan while you fill it: Leaning the springform pan at about a 45-degree angle makes arranging the rigatoni much easier. Start filling from the lowest side and let the pasta support the pieces you add as you work your way up.
Finely grate the parmesan: Large shreds can clog the small opening in your piping bag. I like the parmesan finely grated so the ricotta mixture pipes easily into the narrow rigatoni.
Fill the rigatoni before arranging it: I find it easier to see how much ricotta is going into each tube when I fill the pasta first. Once the rigatoni is packed tightly into the pan, it’s harder to tell whether you’ve filled each one completely.
Put the springform pan on a baking sheet: Don’t skip this step. The baking sheet catches any sauce or cheese that might escape from the springform pan while the pasta pie bakes.
Don’t skip the resting time: Give the pasta pie the full 15 minutes before removing the springform ring. It needs that time to settle so the rigatoni holds together better when you slice it.
Nutrition
The upright rigatoni (known as rigatoni pasticciati in Italy) takes a little more time to assemble than an ordinary pasta bake, but that’s what makes this one so much fun to serve. I love cutting into it at the table and seeing all those ricotta-filled pasta tubes hold together in a slice. Serve it with the extra meat sauce, plenty of parmesan and a simple salad on the side.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Can this be assembled the night before and then baked next day or will the pasta be weird? Thanks!
Yes, you can assemble it the night before and bake it the next day. I’d recommend you just cover and refrigerate it, then let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking to make sure it heats evenly. I’m pretty sure the pasta will still taste good and hold its texture well.
I was going to try this recipe tomorrow night. I have a question, The list of ingredients say the rigatoni should be uncooked. No where in the instructions do I see that we should cook the noodles. Is this recipe to be baked with uncooked or cooked noodles? Seems like there’s not enough moisture or cooking time to soften the noodles.
hi! It is cooked al dente. I have clarified that in the directions.
I love this recipe, it’s so easy and it was so fantastic! My kids loved it too!
I’d like to try this, but the recipe does not say what size ricotta cheese is needed. 15 oz., 32 oz?
Oops, sorry! I used the 15-ounce container. Enjoy!
OMG! Me and my daughter tried this yesterday and it was sooo good! It’s our new go-to pie recipe! Thanks for sharing this!
That is so good! Yummy pie, and I always save it for special occasions.