Description
Hearty jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a creamy garlic chicken and spinach filling, topped with rich sauce and melted cheese, then baked until bubbly and golden.
Ingredients
- 20–24 jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups marinara sauce or alfredo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, ricotta, cream cheese, half of the mozzarella, parmesan, sautéed spinach, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix until creamy and well blended.
- Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly over the bottom of a baking dish.
- Spoon the chicken and spinach mixture into each shell and arrange them in the dish.
- Spoon remaining sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Thaw and squeeze excess moisture from frozen spinach before using.
- For a lighter version, use part-skim ricotta and reduced mozzarella.
- Assemble ahead and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
- Freeze assembled, unbaked shells for up to 2 months and thaw overnight before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
