RECIPE: Rec: Chicken Stuffed Shells with Spinach Bechamel Sauce...very good.

RECIPE:
C

curious1

Well-known member
I used Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles, soaked for 5 minutes in hot water (Cook's Illustrated method), cut in half and rolled around filling. Next time, if using the noodles, I'll make 1 1/2 times the sauce. I think this would be good made with crepes (manicotti-style)as well as the shells specified in the recipe.

Chicken Stuffed Shells with Spinach Bechamel Sauce

Makes 4 servings

12 large seashell shaped pasta

Cook the pasta shells in plenty of boiling salted water until barely cooked, about 7 minutes; drain. Let stand in a bowl of cool water until ready to use.

Filling:

3 tablespoons butter

3 teaspoons shallots, chopped fine

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

3 slices proscuitto, chopped fine

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

15 ounces Ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

For the filling, heat the butter in a medium skillet; add the shallots and mushrooms; saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the proscuitto; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and parsley. In a large bowl, combine the Ricotta, egg, and Parmesan cheese; fold in chicken mixture until blended. Set aside.

Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

3 teaspoons all purpose flour

2 cups milk, heated

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

For the sauce, heat the butter in a small saucepan, gradually stir in flour. Cook stirring constantly, until smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in milk and cook stirring constantly until smooth and thickened, about 10 minutes. Purée the spinach with half of the béchamel in a food processor or blender. Add the remaining béchamel and lemon juice. Season with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Drain the pasta and invert on paper towels to blot dry. Fill shells with the chicken mixture. Arrange in baking dish. Pour the béchamel over the top. Sprinkle with some Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let stand approximately 10 minutes before serving.

Can be made ahead.

http://www.kitchenlink.com/ch/2002/february/graciousgator3.html

 
Thanks Curious, I love lasagne rollup type dishes. May I offer another chicken stuffed shell recipe.

Chicken Stuffed Shells with Tomato Cream Sauce

One lb pasta shells for stuffing
Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

For filling:
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 tbsp jar chopped garlic)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh, chopped spinach
One lb ricotta
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 2 tbsp dry)
3 tbsp basil, julienned (or 1 tsp dry)

For sauce: (can be made 2 days ahead)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, chopped (or 2 tbsp jar chopped garlic)
2 carrots, finely chopped
Two 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes (or about 2 lb ripe tomatoes)
One 28-oz can tomato puree
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (or 2 tbsp dried)
3 tbsp fresh basil, julienne (or 2 tsp dry)
3/4 cup heavy cream (can substitute half-and-half, or evaporated skim milk)

Cook shells according to package directions. Take 6 minutes off of cooking time. Drain well, cool under cold running water, and toss with a minimal amount of olive oil (or cooking spray) to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Cut into small pieces. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

In same skillet, cook garlic, onion, carrot, celery and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes. Add spinach, and cook 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine chicken and spinach mixture. Puree in a food processor or blender. (If you have a small machine, do this in batches.)

In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Romano, parsley and basil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Add chicken puree and combine very well. Chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare sauce. In a large stockpot, heat 3 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot, and sauté until onion begins to brown. Add tomatoes and puree. Stir well. Add wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add parsley and basil to sauce, and cook 15 minutes more. Working in batches, puree sauce in blender; return to same pot. (If you have a hand blender, you can use it right in the pot). Add cream and simmer 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking pan well with cooking spray. Place a thin layer of sauce in bottom of baking pan. Stuff shells with chicken mixture. (I find a pastry bag with no tip is ideal for this. If you don't have one, try a demitasse spoon.) Mixture should come to top of shells. Place shells in baking pan in a single layer. When all shells are filled, cover with sauce. Top with grated provolone, and parsley. Bake for 20 minutes. Cheese should be golden and sauce should be bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

The entire dish can be made ahead of time and frozen (either baked or unbaked). Cover top with plastic wrap then aluminum foil. If unbaked: remove plastic wrap, and re-wrap with foil. Place in a low oven (250 degrees F.) and bake until a knife is easily inserted. Then raise heat to 350 degrees F. and bake as above. If baked: remove plastic wrap and rewrap with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F. until hot.

Pat’s note: Original recipe said it serves 6...I found it serves a lot more than that.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/pasta/0399/shells.html

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top