Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells Lite (Printable Version)

Tender jumbo shells filled with creamy pesto chicken and Greek yogurt, baked in marinara with melted mozzarella—a lighter Italian-American classic.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 16 jumbo pasta shells

→ Filling

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, non-fat or low-fat
04 - 1/4 cup basil pesto
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
07 - 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Assembly & Topping

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
13 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool completely.
03 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, pesto, Parmesan, ricotta, spinach, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix until well blended.
04 - Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
05 - Fill each cooled pasta shell with 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and arrange in the dish with seam side up.
06 - Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells.
07 - Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
10 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • Greek yogurt swapped in for heavy cream means you get creaminess without the afternoon energy crash.
  • Packed with 35 grams of protein per serving, so it actually keeps you full until dinner time.
  • The pesto flavor punches through in every bite—none of that muted herb situation you get with some lighter recipes.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the pasta shells—if they're hot, the filling leaks out and gets everywhere as you try to stuff them.
  • The Greek yogurt mixture will seem thin at first, but it firms up beautifully once everything melds in the oven, creating a creamy sauce rather than a wet filling.
03 -
  • Make the filling up to 24 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge, then stuff and bake when you're ready—this actually lets the flavors meld and taste even better.
  • If your shells crack while cooking, just use them anyway—a little tear doesn't matter since they're surrounded by sauce.
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