Pesto Lasagna Stuffed Shells (Print Version)

Tender shells stuffed with ricotta and pesto chicken, baked with marinara until bubbly.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells

→ Filling

02 - 1½ cups ricotta cheese
03 - ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - ½ teaspoon salt
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Pesto Chicken

09 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
10 - ⅓ cup basil pesto

→ Assembly and Baking

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
13 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish

# Recipe Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool slightly on a clean surface.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, salt, black pepper, and Italian herbs. Stir until mixture achieves smooth, uniform consistency.
04 - In a separate bowl, toss cooked chicken breast with basil pesto until evenly coated throughout.
05 - Spread 1 cup marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
06 - Fill each cooled pasta shell with approximately 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture using a small spoon. Top each filled shell with a spoonful of pesto chicken. Arrange stuffed shells in single layer within baking dish.
07 - Spoon remaining marinara sauce evenly over stuffed shells. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese across the top.
08 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes at 375°F.
09 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 additional minutes until cheese is melted and sauce bubbles at edges. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but comes together faster than you'd think, making it perfect for when you want to impress without the stress.
  • The pesto chicken adds brightness that lifts marinara beyond the ordinary, turning a familiar dish into something that feels like a discovery.
  • Each shell is a perfect bite-sized pocket of creamy, herby, saucy goodness, so no one's ever disappointed with their portion.
02 -
  • Don't overfill the shells thinking more is better, because when they bake, everything expands and overstuffed shells will burst open, leaking filling into the sauce.
  • The pesto will darken slightly during baking, which is completely normal and actually deepens its flavor rather than ruining it.
  • If your baking dish isn't level, you might get one corner cooking faster than another, so rotate it halfway through baking if you notice uneven bubbling.
03 -
  • Make your own pesto if you can find fresh basil at a reasonable price, because the flavor difference between homemade and store-bought is genuinely noticeable and worth the five minutes it takes to blend.
  • If you only have small pasta shells, you'll need more of them and less filling per shell, but the cooking time stays the same since they'll cook faster initially.
  • Tear basil by hand rather than chopping it if you're garnishing at the end, because the bruising from a knife can darken the leaves before they even hit the plate.
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