Description
A comforting baked pasta dish featuring large pasta shells filled with a creamy chicken and spinach mixture, topped with marinara sauce and cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 large pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped spinach and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and squeeze out any excess water.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, wilted spinach, softened cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Stuff each cooked pasta shell with the chicken and spinach mixture.
- Spread half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer over the sauce.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the shells are heated through.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can use rotisserie chicken for a quicker preparation.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the filling for a little heat.
- Serve with a side salad and crusty bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 shell
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 100mg