Chicken Scampi Stuffed Pasta Shells

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 lbs. chicken tenders, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

12 oz. Jumbo pasta shells

3 cups shredded cheese, divided (monterey jack, cheddar, mozzarella, etc.)

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons softenend butter, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp reserved chicken seasoning

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine (good enough to drink)

2/3 cup chicken stock or broth

1/3 cup pasta water

1 lemon zest and juice

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup parmesan

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prep & Cook Chicken

Mix together the chicken seasoning ingredients. Reserve 1 tsp of the seasoning mix and set aside. Add diced chicken to a bowl or zip top bag with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add remaining seasoning mixture to chicken and toss until well coated and evenly seasoned.

Heat a large saute pan over medium high. Add 2 tabelspoons of olive oil and add chicken and cook until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Transfer chicken to a large bowl, tent with foil and set aside.

Make Scampi Sauce

In the same pan over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to reduce to 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. In a seperate pot, boil the water for the pasta shells and cook to al dente (according to the package instructions).

Whisk in remaining butter until melted. Add the red pepper flakes and reserved seasoning mixture and salt and pepper along with chicken stock, lemon zest and juice, heavy cream, parmesan, and chopped parsley. Allow it to thicken then add the pasta water and continue to simmer until sauce it slightly thickened. Taste

Stuff The Shells & Bake

To the bowl of diced chicken add half the shredded cheese. Toss to combine. In a greased 9x13 baked dish, spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Stuff each shell with a large spoonful of the chicken/cheese mixture then place them side by side into the pan. Pour the remaining sauce mixture evenly on top of the stuffed shells. You may need to spoon excess sauce into any shells that are missed.

Top the saucy shells evenly with the remaining 1.5 cups of shredded cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.