Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells (Print Version)

Jumbo pasta shells filled with creamy pesto chicken and baked in tangy marinara for a lighter Italian favorite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 jumbo pasta shells

→ Chicken Filling

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, finely shredded
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or nonfat)
04 - 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
05 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 garlic clove, minced
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, pesto, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.
04 - Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
05 - Stuff each cooked shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken filling and arrange shells open side up in the baking dish.
06 - Spoon remaining marinara sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
08 - Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Greek yogurt swapped in for ricotta keeps things creamy while cutting calories in half—your body feels better after eating this.
  • The pesto-chicken combo is genuinely delicious, not a compromise, so you're not sacrificing flavor for health.
  • Stuffed shells look fancy enough to serve company but come together in under an hour on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Cook your pasta slightly underdone because it keeps cooking in the oven—overcooked shells turn mushy and fall apart when you try to stuff them.
  • Don't skip the resting period; those 5 minutes let the filling firm up enough that you can actually plate this neatly and the sauce doesn't run everywhere.
03 -
  • Spread your cooked pasta shells on a clean kitchen towel instead of piling them in a colander—they stay intact and won't stick together.
  • Use a cookie scoop or small spoon to portion the filling so every shell gets roughly the same amount and cooks evenly.
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