This is a baked stuffed pasta dish built around ground smoked chicken, marinated artichokes, spinach, and a three-cheese filling — all packed into giant shells or manicotti and baked under marinara and mozzarella. It takes some prep, but most of it happens in one processor bowl and one baking dish. The payoff is a rich, smoky, cheesy dinner that reheats well and feeds a crowd without much fuss.
Why this recipe works
The filling comes together in a food processor, which does two things at once: it breaks the smoked chicken down to a texture that holds inside the pasta, and it blends the ricotta, cottage cheese, and spinach into a cohesive mix that won’t fall apart when you cut into a shell. That single step is what keeps the filling from being crumbly or watery. The second thing that matters is the foil-covered bake before the broil. Covering the dish traps steam so the pasta finishes cooking and the filling heats all the way through — ground chicken must reach 165°F (74°C) internally — before the mozzarella topping gets its five minutes of direct heat to brown and bubble.
Mistakes to avoid
- Overfilling the shells: Pack the filling in firmly but stop before the pasta strains. Overstuffed shells split during baking and the filling spills into the sauce, leaving you with empty pasta and a messy pan.
- Skipping the drain on the artichokes: Marinated artichokes carry a lot of liquid. If you pulse them straight from the jar without draining well, the filling turns loose and wet, and the pasta won’t hold its shape on the plate.
- Using sweet jarred marinara: A heavily sweetened sauce fights the smoky, savory filling. Check the label — if sugar is in the first few ingredients, pick a different jar or add a pinch of red pepper flakes to cut through it.
- Pulling the dish before the center is hot: Stuffed pasta is thick. Use an instant-read thermometer through the side of a shell near the middle of the dish. You’re looking for 165°F (74°C) before you move to the broil step.
- Broiling too long: Five minutes is the ceiling. Mozzarella goes from golden to scorched fast under a broiler, especially if your oven runs hot. Watch it, not the clock.
Substitutions that actually work
- No smoked chicken: Use ground chicken breast seasoned with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, half a teaspoon garlic powder, and a small pinch of cumin. Cook it through to 165°F (74°C) before processing. It won’t have the same depth, but the smoked paprika does real work here — skip the garnish instead of skipping that spice.
- Cottage cheese: If you dislike the texture, an equal weight of whole-milk ricotta works fine. The filling will be slightly richer and a little denser, which is not a problem.
- Giant shells vs. manicotti: Either works. Giant shells (conchiglioni) are easier to fill with a spoon and less likely to tear. Manicotti is fine but the open ends let filling slide out — press them gently against each other in the dish so they stay put.
- Fresh spinach vs. frozen: Frozen chopped spinach works well. Thaw it completely and squeeze out as much water as you can before it goes into the processor, or the filling will be too wet.
Make-ahead notes
You can assemble the entire dish — stuffed pasta arranged in the baking dish, sauce poured over, mozzarella on top — cover it tightly with foil, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Pull it from the fridge 20 minutes before it goes in the oven so the center doesn’t stay cold. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days; reheat covered with foil at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, or until the filling hits 165°F (74°C) again. For freezing, assemble without the mozzarella topping, freeze tightly wrapped for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, add the cheese, and bake from there. Freezing with the mozzarella already on top makes it rubbery after reheating.
Smoked Chicken and Artichoke Stuffed Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound giant pasta shells
½ medium chicken breast - with smoked paprika- 5 small artichokes
1 cup spinach
7 ounces ricotta cheese - low-fat
8 ounces cottage cheese - low-fat
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
¼ tablespoon nutmeg
1 cup Mozzarella cheese - shredded
28 ounces Marinara sauce (tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions - pasta sauce in southern hemisphere for Italian seafood dish)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put chicken in a food processor pulse several times until thoroughly minced.
- Add artichokes pulse until finely chopped.
- Add ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, spinach, garlic powder and nutmeg.
- Process until spinach is chopped and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Spoon mixture into a large ziplock bag, then snip the corner.
- Squeeze the bag to fill the pasta with the cheese mixture
- Place noodles in a baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray to make sure the noodles are all touching each other.
- Cover pasta with sauce.
- Sprinkle on shredded mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminium foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil switch oven to low broil.
- Broil 5 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let sit 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of smoked chicken?
Yes, rotisserie chicken works as a substitute, though the smoky flavor won’t be there. To compensate, add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the filling and taste before stuffing — rotisserie chicken is often already salted, so hold back on any added salt until you’ve checked the seasoning.
Do I need to pre-cook the pasta before stuffing it?
Yes, cook the shells or manicotti until just shy of al dente — they’ll finish in the oven. Fully cooked pasta will turn mushy after 25 minutes under foil plus broiling, so pull it a minute or two early and rinse with cold water so it stops cooking and is cool enough to handle.
How do I know the filling is fully cooked through?
Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a shell in the middle of the dish — it needs to read 165°F (74°C) for ground chicken. If the mozzarella is browning before the center is hot enough, re-cover with foil and give it another 5 minutes before checking again.
More mince recipes to try
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
