Can you do self-insemination at home ?
When you have teens who are obsessed with TikTok, any trending dish that’s sweeping the internet becomes a hot topic in your household. My three kids are practically glued to that app, and they often quote TikTok stars instead of answering my questions.
Recently, I stumbled upon the Honeycomb pasta recipe, and it seemed like a surefire hit. Not only does it look impressive, essentially being a pasta cake, but the combination of cheese, pasta, sauce, and meat is hard to resist. I already had a Springform pan, so I added the missing ingredients to my shopping list, relieved that our Friday night dinner plans were set and that pizza wouldn’t be the go-to option.
The process involves layering sauce, meat, cheese, and pasta, but with a fun twist. After coating the bottom of the Springform pan with sauce and meat, you stand boiled rigatoni upright around the edge of the pan and stuff them with mozzarella. Some people use fresh mozzarella, which I did, while others prefer cheese sticks (which I would have chosen if they ever lasted in our house).
When I showed the recipe to my son, he worried it would be too cheesy. I found myself questioning if he was really my child—there’s no such thing as too much cheese!
After stuffing the rigatoni, I layered more sauce, meat, and cheese before baking it until bubbly. The reviews on this dish are mixed. If you’re thinking of trying it, here are some things to consider:
Pros:
- Honeycomb pasta is pretty affordable, and you might already have many of the ingredients at home.
- It’s visually impressive when it comes out right.
- It tastes delicious, and my entire family enjoyed it.
Cons:
- My back was aching from the effort it took to assemble this pasta cake. Standing the rigatoni upright looks easy in the TikTok videos, but my patience wore thin quickly. I felt like I was playing a precarious game of dominos, and a few pieces toppled over, making it even more challenging to stuff the cheese.
- As much as I love cheese, I never want to stuff small pasta tubes again. I found myself muttering, “I don’t want to do this,” and “I need a massage,” but of course, no one heard me; that’s just the life of a mom.
I was excited to reveal my creation, but when I removed the Springform pan, it started to fall apart. After the first serving, it collapsed, and my son asked why I hadn’t just mixed everything together in a regular pan since he planned to mash it down anyway.
By the end of the night, my back and shoulders were sore from hunching over to stuff the rigatoni. I even had to fetch my massager, only to discover it was out of battery—thanks to the last user. I lay in bed cursing those rigatonis.
Did it taste good? Absolutely. It’s comfort food, especially with garlic bread, and the leftovers were just as tasty the next night. But was the honeycomb pasta worth all the hype? I’d say no, unless it turns out perfectly and garners a lot of admiration—something I didn’t receive from my teenagers.
After dinner, I tossed the leftovers into a Tupperware, effectively transforming my hard work into regular baked ziti. I learned that I enjoy cheese, but not enough to stuff it into tiny pasta tubes.
If you crave the flavors of honeycomb pasta, I recommend just making baked ziti with extra mozzarella. If you want to impress, go ahead and give it a try, but be prepared for potential mishaps and comments like, “Why didn’t you use a different pan?” or “What’s taking so long?”
If you’re adventurous, give it a shot, just keep some Advil nearby and ensure your massager is charged and ready for action.
For more family-friendly meal ideas, check out this excellent resource on kid-friendly meals.
Summary:
The viral Honeycomb pasta from TikTok looks impressive and tastes great but can be a labor-intensive process that might not be worth the effort. While it’s a fun dish to try, simpler alternatives like baked ziti may yield the same satisfaction without the headaches.