If you’re looking for a dinner the whole family will love… this is it. Soft pasta shells filled with creamy chicken alfredo topped with oozy mozzarella… every bite is filled with cheesy goodness. Trust me you need to try these alfredo stuffed pasta shells. This dish isn’t just the perfect mid-week dinner… it also makes great meal prep!
The process:
I will admit this dish is a bit of a labour of love… but I promise you it’s worth it! I actually found it quite therapeutic individually filling all the pasta shells. We start by par-cooking the pasta, you still want it to be a little hard so that they don’t all fall apart when you stuff them. About four minutes in boiling salted water. While that’s bubbling away, make the sauce and filling.
The sauce begins with a rue. Start by melting the butter in a small pot, then add the flour and stir through until the flour taste is cooked off. Then stir through the milk and cream, whisk until there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper and leave it to thicken for a couple of minutes. Once it’s thickened up turn off the heat and stir through the parmesan cheese.
Now we make the filling. To save time I use a pre-cooked BBQ or roast chicken, but you can of course cook some in the oven if you want. Combine the shredded chicken, ricotta, cheddar, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add a splash of cream if you need to make it easier to stir. Here comes the fun part. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an oven dish and then using a spoon – or your fingers, I actually found it easy this way – scoop the filling into each pasta shell, packing it in as tight as you can. Lay each shell face down in the pan and repeat the process until you’ve filled all the shells. I did mine in a couple of layers. Then pour over the rest of the sauce along with a good helping of grated mozzarella and grill in the oven at 180 for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese on top turns golden brown.
More easy pasta dinners:
- Simple Butter Garlic & Mushroom Pasta
- Herb-Crusted Chicken with Creamy Lemon Orzo
- Creamy Lemon & Garlic Prawn Linguine
- Mum’s Homemade Lasagna
And finally, if you like these Baked Chicken Alfredo Pasta Shells be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
BAKED CHICKEN ALFREDO STUFFED PASTA SHELLS
Course: DinnerDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes30
minutes1
hourA dinner that is not just delicious but also fun to make.
Ingredients
500g large shells
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
250g ricotta
1 cup cheddar grated
2 tsps dried oregano
small bunch parsley finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsps plain flour
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
1 cup parmesan grated
1 cup mozzarella grated
Directions
- Cook pasta in boiling water for about 5 minutes… it should still be a little hard in the center. Strain and let cool.
- The filling: In a large bowl mix together the chicken, ricotta, cheddar, oregano and parsley. To help the mixture combine easier add a splash of cream.
- The alfredo sauce: In a small pot on medium heat melt the butter and stir through the flour until well combined. Stir through the milk until there are no lumps, then add the cream. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick keep adding more milk. Let simmer until it becomes a good saucy consistency, turn off the heat and add the parmesan.
- To assemble: In a large baking dish spread a layer of the sauce on the bottom. Fill each pasta shell with a small handful of the filling, pressing it in so there are no air pockets. Lay the shells face down in the dish, spoon over more sauce and then another layer of pasta. Finally, spoon over the rest of the sauce and top with grated mozzarella.
- Grill in the oven at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown on top.
Notes
- Can keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
