In this dish, pasta shells are stuffed with ricotta, chicken, broccoli, parmesan and Cajun seasoning and then cooked in a creamy alfredo sauce. It’s an ideal meal for a larger gathering and will be popular with your friends and family, who will ask you to make it time again when a covered dish is required.
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| Partial Batch - Baked and Ready to Serve |
If you use a good quality store bought Alfredo sauce like Classico, which has simple natural ingredients the results will be as good as homemade. Check the label carefully.
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| Ready to Bake |
If serving it as a main dish for your dinner, plan on 3-5 stuffed shells per adult. Using a main dish this recipe will serve 4 adults. I typically serve a side salad with this protein rich main course.
Ingredients
16 ounces ricotta cheese
12 ounces chicken breast, cooked and shredded or diced
(rotisserie, canned or freshly cooked)
12 fresh broccoli florets, cooked and diced
3-5 spring onions
1/2 cup shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
(substitute dried lemon peel)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (more or less to taste)
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| Simple Ingredients |
Alfredo Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk or half and half
1/2 cup shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
(substitute dried lemon peel)
1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
Topping
4-6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil, add a heaping tablespoon of salt then add the pasta. Boil uncovered for 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is al dente. Drain and place the cooked shells on a baking sheet to cool, open sides down to assist with drainage. (Note: some shells will be broken in the box and they should be discarded. Others will tear during cooking, but these can generally be used as the stuffing mixture will hold them together.)
Slice the spring onions separating the white bottoms and green tops. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, chicken, broccoli, sliced white portion of the spring onions, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and Cajun seasoning. Taste and adjust seasoning as you prefer.
Sauce: To make homemade sauce, melt butter in a saucepan, and add the garlic and cook until fragrant; about a minute. Stir in the cream, milk, parmesan, lemon zest and Cajun seasoning. Bring to low boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat to just a simmer and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally to insure it doesn’t scorch or stick. If using store bought sauce, warm gently and stir in 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. In both cases, taste for flavor and add more Cajun seasoning if you prefer.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack in the middle position.
In a large baking dish that will hold all the shells, add two-thirds of the sauce. Fill pasta shells one at a time with a heaping tablespoon of the mixture. You may have some extra pasta shells that can be discarded. I typically get about 20-22 stuffed shells from this recipe. When all of the shells are stuffed and in the baking dish, drizzle the remaining sauce over the shells. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese has melted and beginning to brown and the sides are bubbling, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved tops of green onions for garnish.
Serve with a side salad.
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