Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells (Printable Version)

Jumbo shells filled with pesto chicken and Greek yogurt, baked in marinara sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 jumbo pasta shells

→ Chicken Filling

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, finely shredded
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or nonfat)
04 - 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
05 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 garlic clove, minced
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce and Topping

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

# Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, pesto, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.
04 - Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
05 - Stuff each cooked shell with about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling and arrange the shells, open side up, in the baking dish.
06 - Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
08 - Remove the foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
09 - Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving if desired.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The Greek yogurt trick keeps everything creamy without heavy cream, which I discovered by accident when I grabbed the wrong container one night and never looked back.
  • One pan, one baking dish, minimal cleanup—perfect for weeknights when you want restaurant-quality results without the chaos.
  • 36 grams of protein per serving means it actually satisfies, even when you're not eating carbs like they're going out of style.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the pasta shells slightly before stuffing—warm pasta tears too easily, and cold pasta is nearly impossible to work with without breaking.
  • Greek yogurt can split if your oven temperature is too high or if the dish bakes uncovered the whole time, which is why the foil covering matters during the first phase.
03 -
  • Cook your pasta shells one minute under the package time so they finish cooking in the oven and stay tender rather than turning soft.
  • Chilling your filling mixture for 15 minutes before stuffing makes it thicker and easier to work with, which is a small move that makes a big difference.
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