Chicken & Sage Stuffed Shells
These Chicken & Sage Stuffed Shells are a fun and flavorful twist on an Italian classic! The hearty ricotta filling, packed with chicken, spinach, shallots, and sage, paired with plenty of marinara sauce and parmesan cheese on top, makes these shells a savory treat. They’re the perfect choice to cook with your partner, family, or a friend on a quiet weekend when you have a little extra time!
Thanks to my husband for this recipe contribution! We love to cook them on a Sunday to then enjoy on the following weeknights.
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RECIPE NOTES:
Prepping The Shells: 1 12 oz box of jumbo shells works out to be the perfect amount for this recipe! Each box contains approximately 35 shells, and in the boiling process, it’s inevitable that a couple of them decide to break apart. (C’est la vie!) This should leave you with just the right amount of shells to match the filling, which fills approximately 31 shells.
Baking Dish: You’ll need a baking dish large enough to accommodate all of the filled shells at once when baking them in the oven. We have found that a 4.8 QT Glass Baking Dish (15″ x 10″ x 2″) is exactly the right size! Alternatively, you could easily split the shells between 2 smaller baking dishes if needed.
Servings: For a dinner, about 5 stuffed shells per person is a nice amount, making this a 6-serving recipe.
Toppings: Don’t forget to add extra marinara sauce and extra parmesan cheese on top when plating!
Storage & Leftovers: Any uneaten shells can be stored together in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Whenever you’re ready for leftovers, simply take your desired amount of shells from the container, and reheat them in the microwave with your added marinara topping to taste. (I’d recommend covering the dish to avoid any sauce splatter.) Then add your parmesan plus optional salt and pepper, and they’re good to go. They also freeze wonderfully if needed!
INGREDIENT NOTES:
Jumbo Shells: We’ve tried many different shells over the years, some of which were too small (making the “stuffing” stage far too lengthy) or that have simply fallen apart when cooking! We highly recommend these shells; Perfect size and sturdy consistency!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The olive oil is used to cook the shallots, garlic, and spinach.
Shallots: We love to use really big shallot cloves!
Garlic: Using a garlic press to crush the garlic keeps things quick and easy.
Fresh Spinach: The spinach blends in seamlessly with the other filling ingredients, plus it adds in some extra greens!
Ricotta Cheese: The ricotta is the heart of the filling to which everything else is added. It can be hit or miss which brands list “1 Pint” on their container, so just look for one that states either 15 or 16 oz!
Parmesan Cheese: Definitely save yourself a step and use a pre-grated (good quality) parmesan…No need to grate it yourself!
Pre-cooked Chicken Breast: No need to cook chicken from scratch! Save time and grab a pre-cooked variety from your local store. We use one prepared with olive oil, salt, and pepper…This adds just the right amount of flavor without it being too bland or too flavorful, so this would definitely be my recommendation!
Eggs: The eggs help to bind everything in the filling together.
Fresh Sage: The sage adds unique flavor complexity to the filling!
Salt & Black Pepper: These are added to the filling to taste! Feel free to use a somewhat modest amount as you can always add more of either or both when serving. We used finely ground sea salt.
Marinara Sauce: We’re picky about our marinara sauce around here! We LOVE this one and highly recommend it because it’s the closest to homemade that we’ve found, but feel free to use your personal favorite. 1 Jar is for cooking, 1 Jar is for topping when you serve.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Knife & Cutting Board
- Garlic Press
- Large Pot Or Dutch Oven
- Colander
- Large Pan
- Large Bowl
- 4.8 QT Glass Baking Dish (15″ x 10″ x 2″), or equivalent
- Aluminum Foil
Servings: Approx. 6
Ingredients:
- 1 12 oz Box Jumbo Shells
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Large Shallot Cloves, chopped
- 2 Large Garlic Cloves, minced/crushed
- 8 oz Fresh Spinach
- 1 Pint (15 oz) Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 lb Pre-cooked Chicken Breast**, finely chopped
- 4 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Sage Leaves
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste, we used finely ground sea salt
- 2 24.5 oz Jars Marinara Sauce, 1 for cooking, 1 for serving
**see Ingredient Notes above for recommendations
Directions:
PREP
Chop the chicken, shallots, and sage, and crush the garlic
In a large pot or Dutch oven, pre-cook the shells according to the package instructions for baking (Pasta removed before fully cooking…Texture should be firm, but not hard)
Dry the shells on a flat surface until cool
COOK THE SHALLOTS & SPINACH
Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat, and sautée the chopped shallots in it until softened and transparent (around 2 minutes)
Next, stir in the crushed garlic and cook for 1 more minute
Add in the spinach and cook, stirring frequently until wilted
Remove the pan from heat and set it aside
STIR TOGETHER THE FILLING
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, chicken, sage, salt, and pepper
Stir until evenly mixed
Add in the shallot/spinach mixture and mix thoroughly
STUFF & BAKE
Preheat oven to 400°
Add 1/2 Cup of Jar 1 of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly
Stuff the shells with the filling mixture and place them in the baking dish
Spoon the remaining sauce from Jar 1 evenly over shells
Finally, cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 – 45 minutes
SERVE
Serve with extra marinara sauce, parmesan, and salt & pepper to taste
Enjoy!
[Store leftovers airtight in the refrigerator.]
