Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells Lite (Printer-friendly)

Tender pasta shells filled with creamy pesto chicken and ricotta, baked in marinara with melted mozzarella for a comforting lighter meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 16 jumbo pasta shells

→ Filling

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, non-fat or low-fat
04 - 1/4 cup basil pesto
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
07 - 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Assembly and Topping

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
13 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool completely.
03 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, pesto, Parmesan, ricotta, spinach, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
04 - Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
05 - Fill each cooled pasta shell with 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture and arrange shells in the baking dish with seam side up.
06 - Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
08 - Cover the 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 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The Greek yogurt does something quiet and smart—it gives you creaminess without the guilt or heaviness of traditional ricotta-heavy versions.
  • Pesto chicken is one of those flavor combinations that somehow tastes restaurant-quality but takes almost no extra effort.
  • You can make the filling while the pasta cooks, so the whole thing comes together in under an hour, even on a busy weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't cook your pasta shells all the way to tender—they'll keep cooking in the oven and end up mushy if you don't undercook them slightly at the start.
  • Taste your filling mixture before you stuff a single shell; that's when you can adjust salt, garlic, or even add a tiny pinch more pesto if it needs brightness.
  • The foil covering is non-negotiable for the first 25 minutes—without it, your cheese browns too fast and your filling dries out.
03 -
  • Buy pre-shredded chicken from the deli counter or use a rotisserie chicken—this dish doesn't require you to poach and shred your own unless you want to.
  • If your pesto is particularly salty, taste your filling before adding all the salt called for; sometimes it's already perfectly seasoned.
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