Pesto Chicken Shells
- 1 box (12 Oz. Size) Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 1/4 cups Unsalted Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1/4 cups Flour
- 3 cups Whole Milk Or Half-and-Half
- 1/2 teaspoons Frank's Hot Sauce
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 cups Red Pepper, Finely Diced
- 1/2 cups Onion, Finely Diced
- 1- 1/2 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast.cooked And Diced
- 2 cups Italian Blend Cheese, Divided
- 1 container (7 Oz. Size) Basil Pesto
- 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- Freshly Minced Italian Parsley, For Garnish
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain and set aside.
- For the sauce: While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Blend in the flour and continue cooking over medium heat for about 2 minutes until bubbly.
- Slowly add the whole milk or half-and-half along with the Franks hot sauce.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan Cheese.
- For the filling: Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet, add red pepper and onion and saute for about 3 minutes until soft.
- Mix sauteed vegetables with the chicken, 1 1/2 cups Italian blend cheese, basil pesto and oregano.
- In a lightly greased casserole dish (I used my 4-quart) place about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in the dish.
- Spoon the Parmesan cheese sauce over the shells and cover the shells as much as possible with the sauce so they dont dry out when cooking.
- Sprinkle with remaining Italian blend cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with freshly minced Italian parsley if desired.
- Enjoy!
pasta shells, butter, garlic, flour, milk, parmesan cheese, olive oil, red pepper, onion, chicken, italian blend cheese, basil, oregano, italian parsley
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/pesto-chicken-shells/ (may not work)