Chicken Parm Stuffed Shells
Stuffed pasta shells is about as classic of an Italian-American dish as lasagna…probably because it pretty much IS lasagna just in a different shape. However, I am not here to say that one may have tried to steal the other’s thunder in any way, I’m just here to share delicious recipes.
Stuffed shells isn’t really something I’ve made before, now that I think about it. It is the sort of dish that would be considered a labor of love, but it’s a good thing to get the kids involved with as they help you stuff all of the tender pasta shells, plus the shells freeze beautifully.
And I didn’t want to just do a basic cheese stuffed shells, I wanted my stuffed shells to contain the technique of the slightly crunchy and chickeny delight that is chicken parmesan.
My plan is quite simple, I’ll make a filling using some ground up chicken and cheese that I will stuff into my pasta shells, top them with a parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, and bake that in a tasty tomato sauce. It should be fantastic!
Serves 4-5
1 pound ground chicken
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
1 box (12oz) dried jumbo pasta shells
1 container (28oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
1 egg
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 cups marinara sauce
Sliced fresh basil leaves, for topping
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a frying pan, cook the ground chicken in some olive oil, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes, breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Add the thyme, garlic and chili, then cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Dump the chicken into a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to cool.
While the chicken cools, boil the jumbo shells according to the package directions. Drain and let them cool a bit.
To the bowl with the chicken, add the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of parmigiano, and the egg. Mix until combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a smaller bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 cup of parmigiano, and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season to taste.
Pour 5 cups of marinara into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, spread into an even layer.
When cooled enough to handle, pick up each pasta shell and spoon enough of the filling inside to make it completely full. Place each shell into the pan filling side-up, and repeat until you’re out of pasta. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture onto everything, then bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and the breadcrumbs on top are golden.
Top with sliced basil and serve.
