Stuffed Shells With Chicken And Arugula And Creamy Alfredo Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to touch.
• Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the Italian blend cheese, the red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 1 pinch of the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and add the leek to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour the wine into the pot and stir to scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and reduce until completely evaporated, stirring. Lower the heat to medium, pour in the cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the Parmesan, the remaining pinch nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Fold the chicken and its juices from the plate into the ricotta mixture. Spread 1 cup of the cream sauce onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Fill each pasta shell with a spoonful of ricotta mixture. Arrange the stuffed shells, seam-side up, shingling them so they all fit (you should have 5 shells along the short side and 6 shells along the long side). Ladle the remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Italian cheese blend and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese and tops of noodles start to turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before sprinkling with some chives and more red pepper flakes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
• Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
• Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon oil. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, saute mushrooms in remaining oil until tender; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, 1-1/2 cups Parmesan, mozzarella and seasonings., Drain and rinse pasta with cold water; stuff each shell with about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with chicken and mushrooms., In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add cream; cook 5 minutes longer. Add 1-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until thickened., Pour sauce over the casserole. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly., If desired, cover and freeze unbaked shells for up to 1 month., To use frozen shells: Thaw in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake as directed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil add the pasta shells and cook for approximately 9 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water being careful not to break the shells. Set aside.
• Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta and Parmesan. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook 1 minute, being careful not to brown it. Stir in the arugula until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chicken and stir well. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Add chicken mixture to cheese mixture and stir carefully. Stuff each shell with approximately 1/2 cup of the cheese filling and place in prepared baking dish.
• For sauce, heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and milk and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from heat and add the chives, 1 cup Parmesan, cherry tomatoes and stir gently. Pour sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.