Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells (Printable)
Creamy chicken and spinach stuffed shells baked in rich Alfredo sauce with melted cheese.
# What You’ll Need:
→ 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)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bake pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine chicken, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Mix thoroughly.
04 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook while stirring until thickened, approximately 4 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then remove from heat.
05 - Spread 1 cup of Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling and arrange them open side up in the dish.
06 - Pour remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
07 - Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese bubbles and turns golden.
08 - Allow dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It looks fancy enough to serve guests but honest enough for a quiet family dinner.
- You can assemble it ahead and bake when you're ready, making weeknight cooking less frantic.
- The creamy sauce and tender pasta mean no one's left picking at their plate.
02 -
- Don't skip cooking the pasta al dente—I learned this the hard way when I followed package time exactly and ended up with a casserole of mushiness.
- Squeeze every drop of moisture from frozen spinach, or it'll water down your filling and make the shells soggy.
- Whisk your Alfredo sauce slowly and steadily; rush it and you'll have clumps or a broken, separated sauce that looks unappetizing.
03 -
- Use whole milk Alfredo sauce instead of heavy cream-only versions; it's richer than you'd expect and less likely to break.
- The nutmeg is your secret weapon—add it to the sauce and watch people try to guess what makes it taste so good.