Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells Lite (Printer-friendly)

Tender pasta shells with creamy pesto chicken filling, baked in marinara for a lighter Italian classic.

# 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 and 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 the shells, open side up, in the baking dish.
06 - Spoon remaining marinara sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
09 - Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The Greek yogurt keeps everything creamy and tangy without the heavy dairy feeling you get from traditional ricotta.
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners that taste like you actually tried.
  • High in protein and genuinely satisfying, so you won't find yourself raiding the kitchen an hour later.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest—I learned this the hard way when I served them immediately and everything slid apart like an avalanche.
  • Greek yogurt can curdle if mixed into boiling liquid, but at these temperatures it stays creamy and intact.
03 -
  • Taste your filling before stuffing—the cheeses are salty, so you might not need the full amount of salt listed.
  • If your pesto is particularly aggressive or salty, use a little less and adjust with extra Greek yogurt instead.
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