Pasta shells stuffed with a mixture of ricotta cheese and pesto chicken, baked in a simple white sauce, and topped with extra Mozzarella cheese.
Keyword chicken, pasta, Pesto, Stuffed shells
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 40minutes
Total Time 1hour
Author Lyuba Brooke
Ingredients
20-22jumbo pasta shells
Pesto chicken mixture:
2chicken breasts
Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
2Tbspvegetable oil for cooking
1/2cuppesto
1Tbspolive oil
1/2cupItalian cheese mix
Ricotta mixture:
15ozricotta cheese
1egg
1/2cupItalian cheese mix
1garlic clovepressed
5-6basil leaves
Salt
Sauce:
1Tbspbutter
1 1/2Tbspflour
1 1/2cupswhole milk
3Tbspdry Parmesan cheese
Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Topping:
1 1/2cupsMozzarella 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 9x13 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
Recipe from Lyuba @ willcookforsmiles.com All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to share this recipe, please simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.