Ingredients
Chicken Pistachio Lumaconi:
- 2 cups (500 mL) chicken, cooked, diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, small, diced
- 1 pkg cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup (250 mL) 35% (whipping) cream
- 3/4 cups (175 mL) pistachio nuts, shelled
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 box large pasta shells (lumaconi)
- mozzarella cheese, grated, to taste
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning
Tomato Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
- 2 tsp (10 mL) garlic, minced
- 1 can canned diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp (5 mL) basil, dried
- 1 tsp (5 mL) basil, fresh
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
Instructions
- Chicken Pistachio Lumaconi
- 1 Sauté garlic & zucchini with olive oil until tender.
- 2 Add cream cheese into pot with garlic and zucchini.
- 3 Add heavy cream, whisking until cream cheese melts into cream.
- 4 Add chicken, pistachio nuts, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- 5 Set mixture aside.
- 6 Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse with cold water.
- 7 Spread the bottom of a casserole dish with a third of the tomato sauce.
- 8 Stuff the pasta shells with the chicken and cream cheese mixture.
- 9 When all shells are stuffed, cover them with the remaining tomato basil sauce.
- 10 Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
- 11 Cover dish with tin foil. Cook at 375ºF (190ºC) for about 60 minutes, uncovering the dish for the last 10 minutes.
- Tomato Sauce
- 1 Sauté garlic in oil until tender. Take care not to burn it!
- 2 Using a blender, blend the diced tomatoes, then add to pot with garlic.
- 3 Stir in salt, pepper, sugar, and basil.
- 4 Simmer about 10 minutes until flavours are combined.