Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells (Printable)
Jumbo pasta shells filled with creamy chicken mixture and baked with rich Alfredo sauce and melted cheese.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells
02 - Salt, for boiling water
→ Filling
03 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, finely shredded
04 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
05 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Alfredo Sauce
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 1 cup heavy cream
15 - 1 cup whole milk
16 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
18 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Topping
19 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
20 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
21 - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
# How To Make:
01 - Set oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells until al dente following package directions. Drain and let cool slightly.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
04 - Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute. Stir in heavy cream and milk, bringing to a gentle simmer. Add 3/4 cup Parmesan and nutmeg if using, whisking until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat.
05 - Spread 1 cup Alfredo sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of filling and place in dish.
06 - Pour remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
07 - Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
09 - Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The shells hold pockets of creamy chicken that burst with richness in every bite—no dry pasta here.
- You can prep everything ahead and bake when guests arrive, which means you're actually in the room instead of stuck in the kitchen.
- It feels restaurant-fancy but tastes like home, which is the exact combination that makes people ask for seconds.
02 -
- Don't cook the shells all the way to soft—they'll keep cooking in the oven and turn to mush if you're not careful, which turns something beautiful into something you can't serve.
- The sauce should coat a spoon but still move when you tilt the pan; if it's too thick, add a splash of milk, because a tight sauce makes the whole dish feel stingy.
- Let the filled dish sit for a minute after baking before you serve it so the filling sets slightly and doesn't run all over the plate like a mess.
03 -
- If your sauce breaks or looks separated, turn off the heat, whisk in a splash of cold milk, and be gentle—it'll come back together like nothing happened.
- Nutmeg is optional but it's the secret that makes people taste something sophisticated and can't name it, so I use it every single time.