Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells (Printable)

Pasta shells filled with chicken, spinach, and cheeses baked in creamy 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)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, mix cooked chicken, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs until well blended.
04 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cream, stirring until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then remove from heat.
05 - Spread 1 cup Alfredo sauce on bottom of prepared baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling and arrange open side up in dish.
06 - Pour remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
07 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden.
09 - Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-quality but comes together in about an hour, so you can actually enjoy your guests instead of stress-cooking.
  • The filling stays moist and rich without being heavy, and that Alfredo sauce makes everything taste like you've been cooking Italian food your whole life.
  • You can stuff the shells hours ahead and bake them right before people arrive, which means less last-minute panic in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't overcook your pasta shells in step 1—they'll be rubbery by the time they bake. Slightly al dente is the move.
  • If your spinach releases water into your filling, the whole dish becomes soupy; squeeze frozen spinach in a towel until it's almost dry.
  • The Alfredo sauce thickens more as it cools, so when it looks like it might be slightly thinner than you want, stop cooking—it'll firm up.
03 -
  • Keep your Alfredo sauce slightly looser than you think it should be at the end of cooking—it tightens up as it cools and as the shells bake.
  • If you're worried about the top burning before the inside cooks through, tent it with foil for the first 20 minutes, then uncover for the last 15.

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