I ALWAYS have time for pasta, and these chicken stuffed shells are one of my favorites. Shredded chicken, three (!!!) different types of cheese, and spinach are loaded into jumbo pasta shells and cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. These shells are bursting with flavor and are the best comfort food for any day of the week!
I can’t stress how easy this recipe is to make. Just cook your pasta shells, mix together the filling, stuff it into the shells, and bake! Seriously, my kids think these chicken stuffed jumbo shells are the best thing ever. It’s one of the only ways I can get them to eat their greens without complaining. And let me be real: anything with cheese is just better!
What’s in This Chicken Stuffed Shells with Spinach Recipe?
This recipe is one of the very few exceptions to my “no more than 10 ingredients” rule. BUT, with good reason! It’s just too delicious to limit the ingredients, and the process is still incredibly easy.
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: These are the base of the dish and will hold all the yummy filling.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves infuse the filling with unbeatable flavor.
- Baby Spinach: I always opt for baby spinach because it’s more tender and less bitter than regular spinach.
- Olive Oil: Used to saute the garlic and spinach for extra flavor.
- Shredded Chicken: Either use leftover rotisserie chicken or make your own shredded chicken in the Instant Pot. So long as it’s cooked and shredded, you’re good to go.
- Ricotta: Use whole-milk ricotta for the creamiest texture.
- Mozzarella: Use fresh, cubed mozzarella in the filling and shredded mozzarella to top the shells.
- Parmesan: Grated parmesan adds a nice nutty flavor to the filling.
- Egg: Helps bind the filling together.
- Spices: Just salt and pepper are needed for these spinach chicken stuffed shells.
- Marinara Sauce: Adds a nice tangy and saucy element to the recipe. Use your favorite store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Mixes with the marinara to create a creamy sauce.
- Basil: Garnish with fresh basil to tie everything together (optional).
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How to Store and Reheat
I store my leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also cover the entire baking dish in foil and store it in the fridge. When ready to reheat, pop them in a preheated oven (375°F), covered with foil, for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
Notes and Tips
- I always cook the whole package of jumbo shells because some will break while boiling – it’s better to have extra shells than not enough!
- Don’t overcook the shells; they’ll fall apart when you try to stuff them. Cook them until almost al dente (firm but slightly tender).
- The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Top Reader Review
“My family loved this recipe so much. It was devoured.” – Cristie Dunbar
Chicken Stuffed Shells Recipe with Spinach
Ingredients
- 10 ounces jumbo shells
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups shredded chicken cooked
- ½ cup whole-milk Ricotta
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes
- ½ cup grated Parmesan divided
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season with salt.
- Add jumbo shells one at a time (to prevent them from sticking together). Boil slightly less than al dente. They need to be firm so they don’t break when you stuff them, and they will continue to cook in the oven. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the shells from the pasta water. Set on a cutting board or large plate to cool.10 ounces jumbo shells
- While the shells boil, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach, sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer spinach and garlic to a large bowl.2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 3 cups baby spinach
- Add shredded chicken, ricotta, fresh mozzarella cubes, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and black pepper to the spinach and garlic mixture. Stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.2 cups shredded chicken, ½ cup whole-milk Ricotta, 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, ½ cup grated Parmesan, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Add marinara sauce and cream to the same pan you cooked the spinach and garlic in. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the rest of the parmesan cheese. Once the cheese has melted, remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.½ cup grated Parmesan, 2 cups marinara sauce, ½ cup heavy cream
- Pour the sauce into a 9×12 inch baking dish (or a similar-sized dish). Use a spoon or your hands to stuff the filling into the shells. Arrange them in the pan. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake uncovered at 350F until hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 25-30 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basilBasil for garnish
Notes
- I like to cook a whole package of jumbo shells as some of them will break during the cooking process. This way you can pick out perfect shells.
How to Make Chicken Stuffed Shells Step by Step
Boil a Pot of Water: Season a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil.
Cook the Pasta Shells: Add 10 ounces of jumbo pasta shells one at a time to the water. They might stick together if added all at once. Boil until less than al dente – they’ll finish cooking in the oven. They should be firm enough to stuff with the filling. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shells and place them on a cutting board to cool.
Saute Garlic and Spinach: As the shells boil, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add 2 garlic cloves (minced) to the hot oil and cook for 30 seconds. Add 3 cups baby spinach and saute for about 2 minutes until wilted. Pour the garlic and spinach into a large bowl.
Make the Filling: To the garlic and spinach mixture, add 2 cups shredded chicken, 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta, 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (cubed), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and mix well until combined. Set the filling aside.
Make the Tomato Sauce: In the (now empty) pan used to cook the garlic and spinach, add 2 cups marinara sauce and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Mix in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese until melted, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff the Shells: Add the tomato sauce to a 9×12-inch baking dish. Using your hands or a spoon, stuff the chicken filling into the pasta shells and arrange them on top of the tomato sauce in the dish. Top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake: Put the dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with fresh basil before serving!
This was really good! Would def make again. No oven temp that I could find so,I baked them at 350. Might use a tad bit more of ricotta. I also added some sautéed onions.
Sounds delicious!
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! No oven temp was listed that I could see so I baked them at 350. The heavy cream made it extra rich and yummy but it could definitely be left out to save some calories and fat. Will be making again!
Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
My family loved this recipe so much. It was devoured.
This is a delicious recipe. I used 1/2-1/2 instead of heavy cream in the sauce, and added some dried basil as I didn’t have fresh for garnish. I also saved some sauce to drizzle on the shells before the mozzarella cheese topping.