Carbonara Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Food mashups seem to be all the rage these days. Some I love (the cronut!) and some…not so much (lookin’ at you, hot dog-crusted pizza). Luckily, I recently made this Italian dinner mashup—inspired by three Italian classics: carbonara, chicken Alfredo and stuffed shells—and it’s a winner. Bacon, chicken and creamy ricotta cheese are stuffed into pasta shells, which are then blanketed in a rich Alfredo sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort food! Here’s how to make it. 

First, gather your ingredients. You’ll need cooked jumbo pasta shells, shredded cooked chicken, bacon, ricotta, parmesan, jarred Alfredo sauce, Progresso chicken stock, garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley. Make things even easier on yourself by picking up a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it for the filling!

Mix the Alfredo sauce and stock together and set aside. Next, mix the chicken, ricotta, parmesan, egg, parsley, garlic, pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spoon just enough of the Alfredo mixture into a 13x9-inch pan to cover the bottom. Then, fill the pasta shells with the chicken mixture and place them in slightly diagonal rows until the baking dish is full (about 28-30 shells). Cover the shells with the remaining sauce.

Pop the pan in the oven and bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or so. I like to sprinkle the dish with some reserved bacon, parsley and a shower of parmesan cheese before serving!