Description
Delicious jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a creamy ricotta and chicken filling, baked in marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 32 (around 8 oz/227g) jumbo pasta shells
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 ounces (142g) fresh spinach
- 15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (34g) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 and 1/2 cups (170g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 cups (300g) chopped or shredded cooked chicken breast
- 24-ounce (680g) jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups), divided
- for serving: fresh basil and more parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar size (about 3-quart) casserole dish. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the jumbo shells. Boil the shells until just al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Lay the shells, open side up, on a baking sheet.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the spinach. Cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts and cooks down, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, egg, parmesan, and 1 cup (113g) of the mozzarella. Fold in the chicken and garlic-spinach mixture.
- Pour about 2 cups (about 450g) of sauce into the prepared baking dish to just cover the bottom.
- Spoon the filling evenly into the shells and arrange in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and extra parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- This dish is perfect for leftovers and can easily be reheated.
- Feel free to add other vegetables such as mushrooms or bell peppers to the filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 100mg