Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells (Printable Version)
Tender pasta shells filled with creamy chicken, spinach, and cheese, baked in rich Alfredo sauce.
# Ingredient List:
→ Pasta & Filling
01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
03 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
04 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
05 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)
→ Alfredo Sauce
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
14 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
15 - 1 cup heavy cream
16 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
18 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Topping
19 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
20 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
21 - Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Mix until well blended.
04 - For the Alfredo sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook, stirring, until thickened (about 4 minutes). Stir in Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
05 - Spread 1 cup of the Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
06 - Stuff each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of the chicken-spinach mixture and arrange them, open side up, in the dish.
07 - Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
08 - Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden.
10 - Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It looks fancy enough for guests but comes together faster than you'd expect, leaving you more time to actually enjoy people instead of hovering over the stove.
- The creamy Alfredo sauce clings to every shell while the spinach adds a subtle earthiness that keeps it from feeling too heavy.
- You can prep the filling hours ahead, so dinner night becomes mostly just assembly and baking.
02 -
- Drain frozen spinach aggressively—wet spinach will water down your filling and make the shells watery, which I discovered the hard way my first attempt.
- The roux-to-liquid ratio matters for the Alfredo sauce; if it's too thin, it'll run off the shells; too thick and it becomes paste.
- Don't skip letting the dish rest after baking; those five minutes let everything set so you're not serving a sauce puddle.
03 -
- Use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip to stuff the shells—it's cleaner, faster, and you'll waste less filling than with a spoon.
- Reserve a splash of the pasta water before draining; if your filling seems too thick, thin it slightly with a tablespoon of that starchy water rather than milk, which will keep everything cohesive.