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Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

A delicious homemade creamy pesto sauce with garlic chicken and lots of cheese stuffed into jumbo shells!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 2 8x8 or 9x9 Baking dishes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb Jumbo Shells
  • 2 lb Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 6 Mozzarella Cheese Sticks cut into ½-in chunks
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
  • ½ cup Oil

For the Creamy Pesto

  • 2 cups Fresh Basil stems removed
  • 1 cup Fresh Kale rough chopped
  • 1 cup Pinenuts
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • ½ cup Oil
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat Oven to 375degF. Start water boiling for pasta.
  • In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add chicken, garlic and broth. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove chicken to mixing bowl and shred.
  • Once water is boiling, add jumbo shells and cook as directed on package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water. Then toss in oil (this helps prevent sticking).
  • Add pesto ingredients to food processer. Blitz until creamy.
  • Add ¾ of pesto to shredded chicken and toss to coat.
  • Place a chunk of cheese into a cooked shell and add a portion of pesto chicken. Line up in baking dish and repeat with remaining shells. Spoon remaining sauce over top of shells and then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Keyword baked pasta, basil, Chicken, chicken and pasta, creamy pesto, Pasta, pasta dishes, pesto, pinenuts
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