Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Why This Alfredo Holds Up in the Oven

Plain butter, cream, and parmesan sauce is lovely on fettuccine, but it can turn oily during a long bake. Two tablespoons of flour cooked into the butter give it just enough body to stay creamy for 35 minutes in the oven and through reheating. The parmesan goes in off the heat, which keeps it smooth instead of grainy.

What You'll Need

• Jumbo pasta shells. A 12-ounce box holds about 36. You need 24, and a few always tear.
• Cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is easiest. Shred it finely so the filling packs into the shells without gaps.
• Whole-milk ricotta. Creamier and less grainy than part-skim.
• Spinach. Fresh and finely chopped, or frozen, thawed, and squeezed very dry. Extra water makes the filling loose.
• Mozzarella and parmesan. Mozzarella melts and stretches. Parmesan brings salt and a nutty edge.
• One egg. It helps the ricotta set in the oven so the filling stays put.
• For the sauce. Butter, garlic, flour, whole milk, heavy cream, finely grated parmesan, and a pinch of nutmeg.

How It Comes Together

Boil the shells in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain, rinse them with cool water to stop the cooking, and lay them on an oiled baking sheet so they don't glue together.

For the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat, add the garlic for 30 seconds, and whisk in the flour for a minute. Pour in the milk and cream slowly, whisking, and simmer 4–5 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. Take it off the heat and whisk in the parmesan, salt, and nutmeg.

Mix the chicken, ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan, egg, and seasonings. Spread a cup of sauce in a 9x13-inch dish. Fill each shell with about 2 heaping tablespoons and set them in the dish open-side up. Pour the rest of the sauce over, scatter the remaining mozzarella on top, and cover with foil.

Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes covered, then 10–15 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and the center reaches 165°F. Let it rest 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly, then sprinkle with parsley.

Tips for Shells That Don't Tear

• Undercook them. They finish softening in the sauce. Fully cooked shells split when you fill them.
• Use a bag. A zip-top bag with a corner snipped off fills shells much faster than a spoon, and more neatly.
• Sauce under and over. Sauce on the bottom prevents sticking. Sauce on top keeps the pasta from drying out.
• Foil first, then uncover. Covered baking steams the shells tender. The last 10–15 minutes uncovered browns the cheese.

Make-Ahead, Freezing, and Leftovers

A glass baking dish straight from the freezer into a hot oven can crack, so thaw it in the fridge first or use metal or foil for anything headed to the freezer. Cream sauces can be a little less silky after freezing. Stir a spoonful of milk into any dry spots before serving.

Variations

• Broccoli. Swap the spinach for 1 cup finely chopped steamed broccoli, or go all the way with chicken broccoli alfredo on a weeknight.
• Bacon. Add ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon to the filling.
• Cajun. Whisk 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning into the sauce.
• Rosé. Stir ½ cup marinara into the finished alfredo for a pink sauce.
• Jarred sauce shortcut. Use a 15-ounce jar thinned with ½ cup milk. It's saltier, so taste the filling before salting.

What to Serve With It

A crisp Caesar or green salad, garlic bread, or roasted broccoli balance the richness. For a bigger spread, add garlic butter roasted potatoes. If creamy chicken dinners are your thing, crockpot marry me chicken and marry me chicken pasta bake are good next makes, and crockpot lasagna soup scratches the same cheesy-pasta itch in a bowl.

Cook's Tips

• Salt the pasta water well. The shells are the only part of the dish that isn't seasoned otherwise.
• Grate the parmesan fine. Microplane-fine cheese melts into the sauce. Coarse shreds or the canned kind turn gritty.
• Check the center. Because the filling has a raw egg and starts cold if made ahead, use a thermometer and look for 165°F in the middle shell.
• Keep extra sauce loose. If the sauce thickens while you fill shells, whisk in a splash of milk before pouring it over.