Pesto Lasagna Stuffed Shells (Printable)

Creamy ricotta-stuffed shells with pesto chicken and marinara, baked until bubbly and golden.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells

→ Filling

02 - 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
03 - 0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
07 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 0.5 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Pesto Chicken

09 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
10 - 0.33 cup basil pesto

→ Assembly & Baking

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - 0.5 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
13 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
02 - Cook pasta shells in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs until smooth.
04 - In a separate bowl, toss cooked chicken with basil pesto until evenly coated.
05 - Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
06 - Fill each shell with approximately 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture, then top with a spoonful of pesto chicken. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer in the baking dish.
07 - Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the remaining 0.5 cup mozzarella cheese.
08 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
10 - Allow dish to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those stuffed shells somehow feel fancier than they are, which means you can impress people without spending all evening in the kitchen.
  • The pesto-chicken filling gives you that restaurant-quality flavor combination without needing to hunt down specialty ingredients.
  • It's actually forgiving—if your shells crack or your ricotta mixture is a touch loose, the marinara and mozzarella will save you every time.
02 -
  • Do not skip draining the cooked shells properly—excess water trapped inside will make the filling taste watered down and the whole dish soupy rather than creamy.
  • The filling should be thick enough to stay mostly in the shell when you pick it up; if it's too loose, the ricotta hasn't been beaten enough or you've added too much liquid somewhere.
  • Those first ten minutes without foil are crucial for browning the cheese on top; if you leave the foil on the whole time, the top will be pale and steamed rather than golden and appetizing.
03 -
  • Arrange your stuffed shells seam-side up so the open part faces where the heat is strongest, which helps them cook more evenly and brown better on top.
  • If you're making this ahead, assemble everything except skip the final baking step, cover it tightly, and refrigerate; just add five extra minutes to the baking time since it'll start cold.
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