Chicken Alfredo with Spinach (Print Version)
Pasta shells stuffed with chicken, spinach, and cheeses baked under creamy Alfredo sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells
02 - Salt for boiling water
→ Filling
03 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
04 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
05 - 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (or 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
06 - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano)
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Sauce & Topping
13 - 2 cups Alfredo sauce (store-bought or homemade)
14 - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Boil jumbo pasta shells in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well incorporated.
04 - Spread 1 cup of Alfredo sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
05 - Fill each cooked pasta shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of the chicken-spinach mixture. Arrange stuffed shells in the baking dish, opening facing up.
06 - Pour remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
07 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 additional minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
09 - Let stuffed shells rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- That moment when you cut into a shell and the creamy filling just barely holds together while hot cheese stretches everywhere is pure kitchen magic
- You get the satisfaction of handmade stuffed pasta without spending hours rolling dough or learning fancy techniques
- Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have time to really become friends in the fridge
02 -
- Undercook your pasta by about 2 minutes because those shells will continue cooking in the hot sauce and nobody wants mushy stuffed pasta
- Work with slightly cooled shells or you'll burn your fingers trying to stuff them and end up with an empty kitchen table while everyone waits
03 -
- Use a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to fill the shells without making a mess
- Let your ricotta come to room temperature before mixing so it incorporates smoothly without any lumps