Cheesy Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
What a delicious variation on the classic recipe! This is a great comforting dish to make in the spring in summer using vibrant fresh pesto. These stuffed pasta shells are packed with chicken and fresh flavors.
I’ve mentioned it before, that all I want to do is to make comfort food every day to match the cooler weather. This weekend, I made these fabulous stuffed shells. My basil has finally decided to start growing like crazy so I’ve been swimming in pesto. Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells seemed like a perfect idea.
Everyone loves my classic stuffed shells recipe so much that I decided to play around with my recipe and create a beautiful spring variation.
If you notice, I decided to keep ricotta and pesto chicken in separate layers. I feel like keeping them separate, instead of mixing them together before stuffing, keeps the nice fell flavors of each layer intact. Adding simple Béchamel sauce on the bottom adds a touch of creaminess to the whole dish.
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing Recommendations
- Storing: You can store baked shells right in the same baking dish just make sure to cool it to room temperature before refrigerating! Cover the leftover dish air-tight and refrigerate. Properly stored, they should last 3-4 days.
- To reheat: you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, just make sure not to overheat it. It’s best to reheat in 30-40 second increments just until heated through. You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F. Transfer the shells into a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and reheat just until heather through.
- FREEZE WITHOUT SAUCE: Stuff cooked shells with the pesto chicken filling. Freeze in an aluminum baking dish for about 2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them into a large freezer zip-lock bag or a freezer container with a lid. When ready to bake, prepare the sauce and spread it in the baking dish, nestle frozen shells in and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 10 or so minutes.
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Cheesy Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 20-22 jumbo pasta shells
Pesto chicken filling:
- 2 chicken breasts
- Salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese mix
Ricotta mixture:
- 15 oz full fat ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese mix
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves
- Salt
Creamy Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- *Optional: fresh grated Parmesan cheese when serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta shells al dente, drain and set aside. *Tip: I like to cook 2-3 extra shells just in case some get damaged as they cook. (So you can cook 25, just in case.)
- Cook chicken in a pan, over medium heat, seasoned with some salt and pepper. Once chicken is done, take it out and let it cool enough to be handled. Once it’s cooled, dice the chicken.
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
- In one mixing bowl, combine diced, cooked chicken, olive oil, Italian cheese mix and pesto. Mix very well and set side.
- In another mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for ricotta mixture. Mix until all smooth and set aside.
- In a sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until combined. Start adding milk slowly while still whisking so that the mixture is smooth. Add salt, pepper and dry Parmesan cheese. Bring sauce to simmer, stirring often.
- Pour sauce all over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
- Stuff each shell with some ricotta mixture, filling them about 1/3 full, and then some pesto chicken mixture.
- Nestle stuffed shells in the casserole dish, in the sauce, one right next to the other.
- Spread mozzarella cheese over the top of stuffed shells.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
- *You can grate some Parmesan cheese right over the cooked shells as you serve it.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Stuff cooked shells with the filling. Spread the sauce in a baking dish and nestle the stuffed shells into it. Cover the baking dish air-tight with a fitted lid of a plastic wrap. Make sure it’s covered air-tight and refrigerate for a day or so. (I wouldn’t recommend making stuffed shells any more than 1 day ahead.)
- When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator and take off the covering. Let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats and sprinkle mozzarella cheese and herbs on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Storing: You can store leftovers right in the same baking dish just make sure to cool it to room temperature before refrigerating! Cover the dish air-tight and refrigerate. Properly stored, they should last 3-4 days.
- Reheating: you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, just make sure not to overheat it. It’s best to reheat in 30-40 second increments just until heated through. You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F. Transfer the shells into a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and reheat just until heather through.
Nutrition
More Comforting Pasta Recipes To Try
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
can store bought alfredo sauce be used?
If there is one you like then sure you can use that.
What is the Italian cheese mix?
Hi Stacey,
An Italian cheese mix usually has Mozzarella, Provolone, Asiago, Parmesan & Romano cheeses. It comes in a bag and is located with all the other shredded cheeses at the grocery store.