I’ve been on a kick lately using less ingredients in my recipes. It’s been a challenge because I refuse to sacrifice a lick of flavor, but I am thrilled to say this dish is loaded with it. Here, it’s all about pasta shells in a creamy, scallion-filled marsala-sherry wine sauce kissed with a smoky flavor. Think of it as a more sophisticated mac & cheese, except it’s unlike any pasta you’ve had in terms of the deep and rich flavor. And since my world-famous Sausage & Shells did me well, Smoky Shells have arrived.
Instant Pot Smoky Shells
I've been on a kick lately using less ingredients in my recipes. It's been a challenge because I refuse to sacrifice a lick of flavor, but I am thrilled to say this dish is loaded with it. Here, it's all about pasta shells in a creamy, scallion-filled marsala-sherry wine sauce kissed with a smoky flavor. Think of it as a more sophisticated mac & cheese, except it's unlike any pasta you've had in terms of the deep and rich flavor. And since my world-famous Sausage & Shells did me well, Smoky Shells have arrived.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 bunches scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces (optional, with some reserved for garnish)
- 1 cup Marsala wine (sweet, if possible but any will do)
- 1/2 cup sherry wine
- 2 cups chicken, onion, or garlic broth (I used 2 teaspoons Garlic Better Than Bouillon + 2 cups water)
- 1 pound medium shells
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin (any flavor) or garlic herb cheese
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Pour the oil in the Instant Pot, hit Sauté and Adjust so it’s on the More or High Setting. After 3 minutes of heating, add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until lightly browned. If using, add the scallions and sauté them in the oil for another 2 minutes.
- Add the wines and deglaze the bottom of the pot, freeing it from any browned bits from the sautéing of the garlic.
- Once the wine’s bubbling, add the broth to the pot and stir well. Add the pasta but do not stir. Just smooth it out with a spoon to make sure it’s mostly covered (it’s okay if some of it sticks out). Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, hit Cancel and then hit Pressure Cook or Manual on High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done.
- Add the cream, liquid smoke, and Boursin or herb cheese and smoked paprika. Stir until fully combined. Let rest for 3-5 minutes to thicken. Top with additional sliced scallions and smoked paprika, if desired.
Jeffrey's Tips
The combination of the Marsala and Sherry wines are what makes this pasta so incredibly special. However, if you’re not into cooking with wine, just nix it and sub in an additional 1 ½ cups broth (so 3 ½ cups of broth total). In Step 2, add 1 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot before adding the rest in Step 3.
Krys
Jeffrey, I tried this dish and I have a question. I had to make one change, reduce the liquid smoke to 1 tsp instead of 2 because I didn’t have as much as I thought in the bottle. But everything else was as written. I also mixed in some sliced and browned smoke sausage, but I did try several bites of the pasta before I added that. Those bites had a very bitter scallion taste, and had we not added the sausage I don’t think we could have ate it.
While the sausage did help, the bitter taste was still there. Do you think I just used too much scallion (2 bunches can be bigger or smaller depending on the store) or does 1 tsp of liquid smoke I left out really make that much of a difference counteracting the scallion taste? There are quite a bit of leftovers that I’m hesitant to eat it because of the bitterness. I really want to like this dish and would love to try it again, just wondering your thoughts on this. Thanks for being such a great part of the cooking community!!
JM
Hi Jeffrey, we had the same experience as the Krys — the resulting meal was almost too bitter to eat, and I halved both the scallions and the liquid smoke because it seemed like way too much, and then I added another 1/2tsp of LS to be sure and it still tasted very off. Could it be the amount of wine that didn’t have a chance to cook off? Super sad about this because we love your videos, but I can barely finish my dinner portion and think the leftovers are destined for the trash. Could there be a mistake in the recipe?
Jeffrey
Definitely not a mistake. It could be the brand of wines you used or perhaps the scallions are a bit too bitter for your liking, but this dish is intended to have a slightly bitter flavor profile to it. You can omit the scallions.
Kathryn
I would say we like the texture of the pasta, the creaminess is great and makes it hearty. The flavor is okay maybe we are just not big fans of liquid smoke. Always love Boursin cheese though. My husband added a hot dog to it and he is enjoying the meal after a long day of work. Thank you Jeffrey- our kids like the videos too.