This cheesy pasta pie is made with rigatoni, homemade bolognese and a creamy cheese sauce. An easy family dinner that’s perfect for weeknights.
If you’re looking for a dinner that gets everyone saying “wow” before they’ve even taken a bite, this pasta pie is it.
Made with upright rigatoni, rich homemade bolognese and a creamy cheese sauce, it’s a fun twist on a classic pasta bake that’s surprisingly easy to make. Once baked, it slices beautifully into wedges, making it perfect for family dinners or entertaining.
I love making this recipe with a frozen portion of my homemade spaghetti bolognese, which means most of the hard work has already been done. It’s one of those meals that looks impressive but is actually very simple to put together.
Why you’ll love this pasta pie
- A fun twist on spaghetti bolognese
- Perfect for using leftover or freezer bolognese
- Cheesy, comforting and filling
- Easy to slice and serve
- Great for feeding a crowd
- Kid approved
Ingredients
For the pasta pie
- 1 portion homemade bolognese sauce, defrosted
- 1½ packets Barilla Rigatoni
- Extra grated tasty cheese, for topping
For the cheese sauce
- 50g butter
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 2½ cups milk
- 1 cup grated tasty cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to make pasta pie
- Make the cheese sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth and thickened.
Remove from the heat and stir through the grated cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper. - Build the pasta pie
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread a little cheese sauce over the base of a 23cm springform tin.
Stand the rigatoni upright until the tin is full.
Spoon the bolognese over the pasta, gently pressing it down with the back of a spoon so it fills the tubes.
Pour over the remaining cheese sauce and finish with a generous handful of grated cheese.
Tip: I sometimes pour the cheese sauce over first so it fills the rigatoni before adding the bolognese on top. Both methods work beautifully.
- Bake
Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden, bubbling and beautifully browned.
Allow the pasta pie to rest for 5–10 minutes before removing the springform ring.
- Slice and serve
Slice into wedges and serve with a simple green salad or steamed vegetables.
Pasta pie (easy cheesy bolognese rigatoni pie)
Ingredients
1 portion homemade bolognese sauce (about 3 cups)
1½ packets (750g) Barilla Rigatoni (uncooked)
Extra grated tasty cheese, for topping
Cheese Sauce
- 50g butter
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup grated tasty cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat, stir through the grated cheese and season to taste.
- Spoon a little of the cheese sauce over the base of a 23cm springform tin.
- Stand the uncooked rigatoni upright in the tin until it is full.
- Spoon the bolognese over the pasta, gently pressing it down with the back of a spoon so the sauce works its way into the tubes.
- Pour over the remaining cheese sauce (or pour the cheese sauce over the pasta first, then top with the bolognese – both methods work well).
- Sprinkle generously with extra grated cheese.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden and bubbling.
- Rest for 5–10 minutes before removing the springform ring. Slice into wedges and serve with a simple salad or steamed vegetables.
Which bolognese should I use?
This recipe uses one portion of homemade bolognese.
I usually make it using my:
- Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
Both freeze beautifully, making this dinner incredibly easy to pull together on busy nights.
More recipes using homemade bolognese
If you’ve got extra bolognese in the freezer, you’ll also love:
- Bolognese Pasta Bake
- Lazy Lasagne
- Loaded garlic bread toasts
- Bolognese Jaffles
- Stuffed Baked Potatoes
