Feta Stuffed Pasta Shells

These bite-sized stuffed pasta shells make a Mediterranean appetizer that’s easy to pick up and eat in one bite. Each shell holds a tangy filling of crumbled feta, diced red pepper, chopped black olives, and walnuts, seasoned with oregano and parsley.

The filling is no-cook. Everything gets mixed together raw and spooned into the cooked shells, then the whole platter gets a quick warm-up in the microwave. That means the feta stays crumbly rather than melting into a gooey mess, and the walnuts keep their crunch.

Cooking the shells to al dente is important since they need to hold their shape when stuffed and picked up by hand. Overcooked shells collapse and tear when you fill them. Rinsing in cold water right after draining stops the cooking immediately and makes them easier to handle while filling.

Pro Tips

• Use large shells, not jumbo. You want one-bite appetizers. Jumbo shells are too big for finger food and too much filling per bite.
• Toothpick each shell to keep it closed. The filling pushes the shell open, and without the pick, they’ll spread out and dump their filling.
• Make the filling ahead. Mix and refrigerate up to a day before. Stuff the shells right before serving so they don’t get soggy.

Variations

• Add sun-dried tomatoes in place of the red pepper for a more intense, concentrated flavor.
• Swap walnuts for pine nuts for a softer, more buttery crunch that’s traditional in Greek cooking.