Cheesy Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

4 from 5 votes

Pasta shells stuffed with a mixture of ricotta cheese and pesto chicken, baked in a simple white sauce, and topped with extra Mozzarella cheese.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 647kcal

Cook pasta shells al dente, drain and set aside. *Tip: I like to cook 2-3 extra shells just in case some get damaged as they cook. (So you can cook 25, just in case.)
Cook chicken in a pan, over medium heat, seasoned with some salt and pepper. Once chicken is done, take it out and let it cool enough to be handled. Once it's cooled, dice the chicken.
Preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
In one mixing bowl, combine diced, cooked chicken, olive oil, Italian cheese mix and pesto. Mix very well and set side.
In another mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for ricotta mixture. Mix until all smooth and set aside.
In a sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until combined. Start adding milk slowly while still whisking so that the mixture is smooth. Add salt, pepper and dry Parmesan cheese. Bring sauce to simmer, stirring often.
Pour sauce all over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Stuff each shell with some ricotta mixture, filling them about 1/3 full, and then some pesto chicken mixture.
Nestle stuffed shells in the casserole dish, in the sauce, one right next to the other.
Spread mozzarella cheese over the top of stuffed shells.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
*You can grate some Parmesan cheese right over the cooked shells as you serve it.

Make Ahead: Stuff cooked shells with the filling. Spread the sauce in a baking dish and nestle the stuffed shells into it. Cover the baking dish air-tight with a fitted lid of a plastic wrap. Make sure it’s covered air-tight and refrigerate for a day or so. (I wouldn’t recommend making stuffed shells any more than 1 day ahead.)
When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator and take off the covering. Let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats and sprinkle mozzarella cheese and herbs on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Storing: You can store leftovers right in the same baking dish just make sure to cool it to room temperature before refrigerating! Cover the dish air-tight and refrigerate. Properly stored, they should last 3-4 days.
Reheating: you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, just make sure not to overheat it. It’s best to reheat in 30-40 second increments just until heated through. You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F. Transfer the shells into a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and reheat just until heather through.