Herby pesto ground chicken and vegetables are piled into jumbo pasta shells, baked in a creamy Alfredo sauce and topped with cheese for a delicious and comforting family dinner. Pesto chicken stuffed shells are simple to make and packed full of flavor, this easy weeknight dinner is a hit with everyone!
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There's never a bad time for a rich, creamy and comforting pasta dish, and these pesto chicken stuffed shells have it all! Rich pesto, creamy Alfredo sauce, and there's even a few veggies thrown in for good measure!
This indulgent pasta recipe is a perfect go to after a long day. Cheesy and rich and full of flavor, it's a winner in every way! Simple and easy to make, these baked pasta shells are all kinds of delicious!
Be sure to try my Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells and Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Simple to make: There's nothing complicated about this recipe. Cook up the chicken pesto filling in a skillet, stuff the shells and bake. Most of the cooking time is hands off.
- Everyday ingredients: To make this recipe simple enough for a weeknight dinner, I've used store bought pasta sauces to make things a little easier.All of the ingredients are easy to source at your local store.
- Make ahead: You can make the filling ahead of time and the leftovers taste pretty good!
Ingredients
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: Be sure to cook a few extra just incase of breakage!
- Veggies: Onion and red bell pepper.
- Oil: For cooking. Use a neutral high heat oil like canola, vegetable or avocado.
- Ground Chicken: Chicken works great in this recipe as it really takes on the flavor of the pesto. It's also low in fat, which (kind of!) balances out the rich sauce!
- Salt and Pepper: Just a little to season the chicken and veggies.
- Pesto: Use your favorite jarred green basil pesto for this recipe.
- Alfredo Sauce: This creamy sauce is cheesy and rich. It sits wonderfully with the herby pesto.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar and parmesan.
How to make pesto chicken stuffed shells
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells and drain (photo 1).
- Cook the chicken, onion and bell pepper (photo 2).
- Stir in the pesto (photo 3).
- Stuff the shells with the pesto chicken and place on top of the Alfredo sauce in a baking dish (photo 4).
- Top with the cheeses (photo 5).
- Bake (photo 6).
Recipe Variations
These pesto chicken stuffed shells are pretty delicious as they are, but you can easily adapt the recipe to suit your tastes, or what's in your cupboard.
- Change up the pesto: Green basil pesto has such a classic flavor, but you can use a sun-dried tomato pesto if you prefer. You could also use a homeade pesto, my pistachio pesto or lemon basil pesto would work great!
- Add different veggies: I always like to add some fresh veggies into a dinner recipe, even if it's this indulgent! You can use other veggies you have to hand like mushrooms, broccoli or peas.
- Use a different meat: Ground chicken works great as the flavor doesn't overpower the dish, but you can easily use other ground meats like turkey, beef or pork.
- Use a different pasta sauce: I'm a sucker for a creamy pasta dish, but you can opt for a tomato based sauce like a marinara or rose if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's generally considered that 3 shells, along with a side dish, is one serving, but for me, that just isn't even deliciousness! This recipe uses 16 shells, which for me, is more equal to 4 servings (4 shells each). But you just do you depending on how hungry you are!
I cooked these pesto stuffed shells in a 10.5 inch circular baking dish, any oven safe dish will work. Before you cook the pasta shells, measure them out in the dish so that you cook the right amount to fit. The filling will make enough for up to 20 shells.
Sure! If you have some shredded chicken that you need to use up, then this is a tasty way to do it!
Serving Suggestions
These chicken pesto stuffed shells obviously can be enjoyed by themselves for a comforting and hearty dinner, or yo can serve them with a healthier side of veggies or a salad. If you are feeling super carby, then you can't go wrong with some garlic bread! Try some of these favorite sides to serve with pasta:
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
You can make the chicken pesto filling up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it stored in the fridge. When you are ready, stuff the cooked shells and bake as per the recipe.
Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 days and can be reheated in the oven at 360F / 180c for 10 to 15 minutes to warm through.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cook a few extra shells than needed. During cooking, some shells can split, making them tricky to stuff.
- After you have cooked and drained the pasta shells, rinse them with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and make them easier to handle.
- Dice the onion and bell pepper finely so that it is easy to place in the shells.
- If you have killer homemade pesto and Alfredo recipes, you can use those instead of store bought.
Somedays you want something creamy, cheesy and carby, and these pesto chicken stuffed shells tick all the right boxes! Simple to make and super delicious, say hello to your new comfort food!
More Pasta Recipes
- Vegetarian Pasta Bake
- Air Fryer Pasta Bake
- Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Blue Cheese
- Goats Cheese Pasta with Beef
I love hearing from you!! If you have tried these pesto chicken stuffed shells, be sure to scroll down, give them a star rating and let me know what you thought!
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Creamy Pesto Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 16 jumbo pasta shells (plus a few extra incase of breakage. Measure the shells in your baking dish to make sure you have enough!)
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound ground chicken (455g)
- salt and black pepper
- 1 jar green pesto (6.7oz / 190g)
- 1 jar Alfredo sauce (13.7oz / 405ml
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (60g)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360F / 180c.
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells as per the box instructions. Once cooked, drain, rinse with cold water and set to one side.
- While the pasta is cooking, dice the onion and red bell pepper finely.
- Heat the oil in a skillet on a medium high heat. Once hot, add in the diced onion and bell pepper and ground chicken. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cook til the veggies have softened and the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the pesto, take off the heat and set to one side.
- Pour the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of your baking dish.
- One by one, spoon the pesto chicken mix into the cooked jumbo pasta shells, and place each shell on top of the Alfredo sauce in the baking dish.
- Once all the shells are stuffed, sprinkle over the shredded cheese and parmesan and sprinkle with a little black pepper.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes til the cheese has melted and the sauce underneath is bubbling.
Notes
- Cook a few extra shells than needed. During cooking, some shells can split, making them tricky to stuff.
- After you have cooked and drained the pasta shells, rinse them with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and make them easier to handle.
- Dice the onion and bell pepper finely so that it is easy to place in the shells.
- If you have killer homemade pesto and Alfredo recipes, you can use those instead of store bought.
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