Butter Chicken Stuffed Shell Pasta

This Butter Chicken Stuffed Shell Pasta is the ultimate cozy comfort food — packed with tender, marinated chicken thighs, a luxuriously smooth butter sauce, and plenty of melty cheese. Follow Ronica on Instagram @mymanabites for more recipe inspo!

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the marinated chicken: In a bowl, stir together the chicken, yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, salt, ginger, and garlic. Let the mixture marinate for about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells, and cook until al dente (they should still have a slight bite). Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   Return to the marinated chicken: Heat the ghee or butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken. and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a bowl, and set aside.

4. 4

   Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

5. 5

   Make the butter chicken sauce: Add the butter to the same pan. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 3–4 minutes, until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to bloom the spices. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for another 1 minute, stirring to reduce any raw tomato flavor. Stir in the heavy cream and water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly. Stir in salt to taste.

6. 6

   Remove the pan from heat. Carefully blend the sauce until silky smooth. (You can use an immersion blender directly in the pan, or transfer the sauce to a traditional blender.)

7. 7

   Add half of the blended butter chicken sauce to the cooked chicken, and stir to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more water to reach your desired consistency. Reserve the remaining sauce. Set aside.

8. 8

   Make the cheese filling: In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the egg if using. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the cilantro. Set aside.

9. 9

   Spread a thin layer of the reserved butter chicken sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each shell with 1 teaspoon of the cheese filling and 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture, then arrange in the baking dish. Spoon any remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

10. 10

    Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven, and let the dish rest for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro for a fresh finish.

11. 11

    Enjoy!

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