Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

 Since soups fall under the category of " foods I'm able to eat," I made this for dinner the other night.  I'm still having a difficult time swallowing and ended up sticking my serving into the blender.... nummy.... pureed soup.  Seriously folks, this is getting old.

But at least there was flavor to be had and it met with rave reviews.  Even my grandsweetie had two bowls!  The original recipe is from an old Light and Tasty magazine and can be found here  I doubled the recipe and added a few other things.  This is definitely a keeper recipe that will certainly be on my soup rotations this fall. My husband, bless his heart, is becoming more brave with foods every year.  But since I love this guy so much.... so very much... I accommodate him by giving the tomatoes a quick whirl in the blender.  My broth turned out to be quite red because of that.  If you leave the tomatoes whole the broth will be clear.

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

adapted from taste of home magazine

Ingredients

3 Italian turkey sausage links (4 ounces each), casings removed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each)  chicken broth

1-3/4 cups water

1 can (14-1/2 ounces)diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained

1 can (16 ounces)  cannellini beans, drained and rinshed

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped (I chopped mine more fine)

 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

In a dutch oven or large soup pan, crumble and brown the sausage until it is no longer pink.  Remove the sausage from the pan and let the grease drain off onto a paper towel.  Safe just a slight remainder of the grease, in the pot, and drain off the excess; add the onion, carrots, garlic, basil, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent.  Stir in the broth, water and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Add the tortellini and cook for about eight minutes or until the noodles become tender.  Reduce the heat and add the spinach; cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 more minutes.  Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese, if desired.

 Yield: 6 servings (2 quarts).

Four Cheese Cornmeal Stix

Monday was the perfect day to make a hearty soup and what's better to go with soup than crackers? Or in this case, "Stix." Rolled out thin and cut into squares these would be ideal for crackers but I was looking more towards cheese straws.  Easy to make and quite yummy.  These would be a lovely gift to make and give along with with some home made soup.

Four Cheese Cornmeal Stix

adapted from BHG Cheddar Cornmeal Sticks

2 Cups Sargento Classic Fancy Shredded Mexican 4 Cheese

                                                           (or just use plain sharp cheddar)

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Lightly grease two baking sheets; set aside.

In a bowl, combine cheese and butter and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

  Beat with an electric mixer until well mixed.  

Stir in flour, cornmeal, salt, cayenne and nutmeg.  

Divide dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into 

about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness, cut into strips, and gently twist.

Or,roll small amounts of dough into a long tube 

about the width of a straw and cut in desired lengths.

Arrange the strips on prepared baking sheets.  

Bake about fifteen minutes or until bottoms are light brown.

Keep stored in airtight container for up to 3 days

or freeze up to 3 months.

Yields about 24 of the 12 -inch stix

Easy Chocolate Turtles

Nothing new really. This candy has been seen on the Internet for several years now, 

but that doesn't stop me from sharing these highly addictive treats!  

You just take these ingredients:

1 bag of Rolo candy 

1 bag of M&M’s or pecan halves 

1 bag of pretzels (knots, squares or rounds)

Place the pretzels on a foil lined baking sheet. Unwrap the Rolos and set one on top of each pretzel. 

 Pop it into the oven at 250 degrees for about 4 minutes. 

 The Rolos will look about the same, but that’s long enough to make them soft. 

 Gently place and M&M or pecan on top of each Rolo and press down a bit. 

 Let them cool completely.

Thyme Gougères

Were you supposed to bring an appetizer for Thanksgiving and forgot about it?  Have no fear!  This is a quick and easy recipe that is sure to impress.

I found the original recipe on Bon Appetit and made some adjustment using what I had on hand.  My daughter and son in law loved them! 

Thyme Gougères

adapted from bon appetit

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

Large pinch of cayenne pepper

Large pinch of kosher salt

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1/2 plus 3 tablespoons cup grated  Parmesan regiano cheese

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves plus more for garnish

5 large eggs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring butter and 1 cup water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan. Remove from heat.

 

 Add flour, cayenne, and salt; stir vigorously to blend. Return to heat; stir vigorously over medium heat until mixture forms a ball and a thin, dry film forms on bottom and sides of pan, about 1 minute.

Transfer mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each egg between additions, and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.Add 1 cup sharp cheddar and 1/2 cup parmesan regiano cheese, and 2 tsp. thyme; beat on low speed to blend. 

Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip or a plastic bag with 1/2" cut diagonally from 1 corner. Pipe dough onto prepared baking sheets in 1"–1 1/4" rounds, spacing 1" apart. For the record, I am quite lazy and just spooned out the dough using my tablespoon cookie scoop! 

Whisk remaining egg with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Brush egg wash lightly over rounds, patting down to form rounded tops. Sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp.Parmesan. Garnish each with a few thyme leaves.

Bake gougères until puffed and golden brown and centers are cooked through but still moist, 20–25 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Let cool completely. Store airtight in freezer. Rewarm in 325° oven until hot, 10–15 minutes.

Pan Roasted Chicken

 

I've tried many variations of roasted chicken and this one is my favorite.  The cooking method is from a recipe I found at The Steamy Kitchen. If I didn't have such a finicky family, I would make it using their entire recipe (Roast split chicken with lemony artichoke sauce).Unfortunately, my husband and one son are picky... hubby is getting better though.

  I love that it was partially cooked in my cast iron skillet and went from stove top to oven.  The chicken was moist on the inside and crisp on the outside; who could ask for more? I even used the pan drippings and made a gravy for the mashed potatoes. In the pictures you can see toothpicks. When I butterflied the chicken the skin separated from the meat.  I just used the toothpicks to keep it attached.

Pan Roasted Chicken

adapted from Joanne Weir and The steamy kitchen

Ingredients

1- 3.5 pound chicken, butterflied with backbone removed

2 tablespoons canola oil

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Rinse and completely pat dry your chicken.  On your stove top, heat a large oven safe frying pan on high heat.  Add oil and when it becomes very hot- gently place the bird skin side down in the pan.  

Season the top of the bird with salt and pepper.  Immediately place the entire pan in oven for 10 minutes.

Carefully remove hot pan from the oven, flip the bird over.  Generously season the skin side with salt and pepper.  Return pan to oven and roast another 25-30 minute.  Remove from oven, place chicken on a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. 

Tootsie Roll Fudge

I always hit the candy aisles after holidays.  I can get my candy as much as 75% off regular price and I then use it for decorating cakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc throughout the year.  Yes, I will admit that I do eat a teeny, tiny portion of it (I see those eyes rolling!!!!) but honestly, I do it because I want to be thrifty!.  Last year I had finally found those little Tootsie Rolls on clearance and was able to make a recipe that I had stored away from many years ago.  Tootsie Roll fudge is an easy recipe and its a great way to get the kids involved (hey, somebody has to unwrap all those candies!)

Tootsie Roll Fudge

adapted from Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups Tootsie Roll Midgees

2 tablespoons peanut butter

3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkles

Directions

Line a 9-in. square pan with foil. Grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. 

In a heavy saucepan, melt the Tootsie Rolls, peanut butter and remaining butter over low heat, stirring constantly.

 Gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla (mixture will be very thick). 

Spread into prepared pan. Using a sharp knife, score the surface into 1-in. squares. 

Top with sprinkles or you may choose to top with holiday M&M candies. Cool. 

Using foil, remove fudge from pan; cut into squares. Store in an airtight container. 

Yield: about 2 pounds.

Chex Brittle

Fall season at the Thiele household means snacking.  OK, you got me... any season for us is snacking season.  But in the fall I tend to gravitate towards crunchy handfuls of snack foods.  A particular favorite of ours is caramel corn (find the recipe here )  Lately I have been craving salty/sweet and I was really hoping to find a snack mix that would fulfill that itch.  While this is a pretty darn good tasting recipe, it wasn't what I was looking for.  I tossed it with some popcorn salt after it came out of the oven, which made a big difference, and I added some caramel candy corn.  

Chex Brittle

adapted from chex.com

8 cups Chex Rice cereal

1 cup salted peanuts

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

popcorn salt, optional

candy corn, optional

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray two 15x10x1-inch pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix cereal, peanuts, condensed milk and vanilla until evenly coated.

  Spread in pans making a single layer.

Bake 12 minutes.   Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with popcorn salt, if desired. Spread on waxed paper to cool, about fifteen minutes.  Break into pieces and add candy corn.  Store in airtight container

Southwest Frito Pie

I was searching through my Taste of Home magazine trying to come up with something quick and easy to make for dinner.  To be honest, I was a bit out of ingredients in my house but was too lazy to go shopping.  When I came across the recipe for the Southwest Frito Pie, the picture alone enticed me.  I changed it up a bit and it was a pretty good dish.  I wish I would have had some fresh tomato and avocado, but there's always another day!  The original recipe called for only one can of beans but I wanted it to be more substantial so used two cans of beans.

Southwest Frito Pie

adapted from a recipe of Janet Scoggins, Taste of Home magazine

2 pounds extra lean ground beef  

1/2 onion, diced 

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons all purpose flour  

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups water

1 can (15 ounce) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

Frito brand corn chips

Optional Toppings:

2 cups lettuce, chopped

1 1/2 cups  shredded Mexican cheese mix

1 can diced tomatoes with chili peppers

Sour cream

fresh minced cilantro

Directions:

In a large skillet, or dutch oven, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink: drain off grease if you have an excess of grease. I didn't need to drain off anything because I used extra lean ground beef.

Stir in the chili powder, flour,cumin, salt and garlic powder until blended: gradually stir in water.

Add the beans and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat: simmer, uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until thickened (may need to add a bit more flour to get the consistency you like), stirring occasionally.

To serve, place chips inside bowls, top with been mixture and desired toppings.

Serves 6

I put the chips on the bottom and around the sides

Ciabatta bread

With Borders going out of business (boo hoo), I thought I would check it out for good cookbook sales.  Well, the sales weren't that good but I picked up a few items that I had been eyeing for a bit.  I found this book called:

Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman.  

What a fabulous book!  I've been wanting to experiment with my own recipes but the perfectionist in me has held me back.  Ratio gives me the building blocks to give me the courage I need to step out of my comfort zone.  

The first chapter is about doughs and batters.  Carbs and I get along just fine...just a peek at my thighs will prove that! I've made bread before, too, but always very careful to follow a recipe.  Ratio gives you...well, it gives you the of ingredients you need in order to make a successful loaf of bread.  Once the proper ratio is used, the rest of the additions are up to you.  

I made this wonderful herb filled Ciabatta bread to go with the Greek Penna with Chicken I had made.  We just couldn't get enough of the bread... a crisp crust and a soft inside... It was carb heaven!


Basic Bread Dough
20 ounces bread flour
12 ounces water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon active or instant yeast
   additions:
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder


In mixing bowl, place the flour and add the water.  Add the salt then sprinkle the yeast over the water and allow it to dissolve.  Mix the ingredients to combine, add the additions of thyme, rosemary and garlic,  then knead the dough.  I used my Kitchen Aid and with the dough hook attachment I let it knead for about ten minutes. 

I like to cook my bread in a enamel cast-iron Dutch oven. This bread only needs one rise and so I lightly greased my Dutch oven with olive oil and placed in the dough.  Dough should double in appearance.

When dough has doubled, stipple dough with fingers.  I did a light spray of olive oil over the top and then sprinkled with coarse Kosher salt and Parmesan cheese.


Baking Directions for use in Dutch oven: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Cover the pot and bake for 15 minutes.  Uncover the pot, drop temperature to 375 degrees F. and continue to bake bread until done... about another 15 minutes. Dough should sound slightly hollow when it is cooked through.


Since this dough contains no added fats, it will spoil quickly.  Best if used within two days.

Greek Penne pasta with Chicken

I wasn't sure I would be able to do the monthly challenge this month, but, as luck would have it, I did a dish that fits the criteria. We were challenged to make a dish using farmer's market ingredients

This is the first year I have been successfully able to grow herbs.  I guess the lousy start to the summer we had was good for something!  I made this dish last night and even my non-veggie husband ate two servings!  I liked the fact that it had no true "sauce" to it, only what the vegetables and feta cheese made.  Hubby thought it could use a bit of an Alfredo like sauce but the rest of us thought it was perfect as is!

Greek Penne and Chicken

adapted from this recipe by Jenny at allrecipes.com

• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (I had only a walla walla sweet on hand)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 14 ounces marinated artichoke hearts (I rinsed them to remove some of the oil)
• 1 -15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

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stuffed peppers

I loved peppers...how I came to loving them I haven't figured out yet.  I was a serious vegetable hater as a child. Ok, I'll confess that it was even through most of my adult life.  It wasn't until I hit my forties that something clicked in my brain and suddenly that flavor bud turned on!  There are still some veggies I just don't care for (cooked cabbage, blech!) but I'm much more adventurous in my tastes these days.

That being said, my mother and I are the only pepper lovers in the house.  So when I make stuffed peppers I have to make the men unstuffed meals.  This recipe will stuff six peppers.  Obviously, I only stuff two and the guys the stuffing with other things to fill their tummy.

Stuffed Peppers
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice or brown rice (both work for me, just adapt the cooking time if you use brown rice)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 bell peppers   which variety is up to you.... I like to use the red or yellow bell peppers
2(8 ounce cans) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound ground beef  
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Rice recipes vary, so follow your package directions.  With my long grain rice, I have to bring the 1 cup water to a boil and add the rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, I put together the beef mixture for the stuffing. In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion.  Just before the meat is done, I add the minced garlic.  When meat is nicely browned, remove the meat from the pan and let drain on a paper towel.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds and membranes of the bell peppers.  Arrange pepper in a baking dish with the hollow end sides facing up.  You may have to slice a bit of the bottom of, being careful not to remove so much that you make a hole in the pepper, so peppers stand up right.

In a bowl, mix together the drained browned beef and cooked rice. Combine tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce; remove 1/2 for topping on peppers.  Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste... always taste it first to see if more salt is needed.  Spoon in meat filling into each hollowed out pepper and top each pepper with the remaining tomato sauce mixture.
Bake for 1 hour in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.  Peppers should still have a bit of texture to them and not be "mushy."
As an added note, some of the time I leave out one can of the tomato sauce and do not put any sauce on top of my peppers leaving them "naked." I add just one can of tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture, stuff and bake.

Monthly Challenge for April: Sandwiches - Fajitas!!!!!

April's Monthly challenge was sandwiches.  I love bread (my thighs will prove it to you!) so I was very excited about this challenge. I love mixing up stuff for sandwiches to make a quick meal.  I had some round steak that had been in my freezer for a bit too long and I knew it would be tough. One way to rescue tough meats is to put them in a marinade to help break up some of those connective tissues.  I Had some chicken breasts as well so added them into the mixture as well.  Hubby is a veggie-phobe (I'm working on him but he is still very picky) so I cooked up the peppers and onions on the side with just a bit of the marinade I had made.  Was a very yummy meal!  I served it up with some Spanish quinea (using the recipe from a previous challenge but kicking it up a notch).

For the Marinade I used:
Juice of two limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
about 2 teaspoons soy sauce
I have a jar of sliced jalapeño peppers in my fridge so I added a tablespoon of those into the marinade and about 1/4 cup of the liquid as well. 
Two tablespoons water
4 green onions

I sliced up the meat (thin), put it into a ziplock bag and added the marinade ingredients into it.  I gave the bag a good squishing then placed the bag into a bowl (in case it leaked) and let it set for about three hours.  When it came time to cook it I just heated up my cast iron skillet and got it really hot.  I took the meat out of the marinade (other wise the meat would have steam cooked with all the marinade liquid) and cooked the meat through.  Really quite yummy!

Lasagne Soup

I have been waiting for the perfect time to try this recipe...this was the day.  Too much snow and freezing cold temperatures - could that make for a better day to have soup? I found this recipe over on Paula Deen's web site but had to make several alterations to make it palatable for my picky family.

I'm just going to post the recipe with my adaptation but I encourage you to take a look at the original recipe, too.

Not Quite Lasagne Soup

adapted from Paula Deen

1 pound Jimmy Dean Italian Sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped (Ok, this would have been perfect for me so I included it in recipe.  Had to leave out for hubby though)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

2 cans Swanson's Reduced Sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with basil and olive oil (regular petite diced tomatoes would work great too... I just love these!)

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

4 ounces slightly broken egg noodles

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a Skillet combine sausage and onion; just before completely browning add the garlic, finish browning.  Drain off grease.
In a large sauce pan: stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt (1/2 teaspoon if desired. I didn't think it needed it). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; add sausage mixture and reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.

Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler.

Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly.

To make again I would make the following changes:

  I would add the parmesan along with the mozzarella... going lighter on the mozzarella.  I found that to much of the cheese sunk to the bottem and just became heavy.  I would cook the pasta separately from the soup and put the pasta into the bowls then add the soup.  Cooking it the above way my noodles drank up most of the liquid after setting for a bit.

tomato soup

I'm still on China time and trying to get back in to the groove of things.  China was fabulous and I'll post some pics after I get them organized.  The weather is supposed to become wet and ugly for us, here in North Idaho that is, so I figured that now is a great time to share this fabulous tomato soup recipe I have.  Not even my vita mix could get it to come out completely smooth, but the flavor is stupendous!

Cream of Tomato Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained reserving

3 cups of the juice

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons flour

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the onion and slightly carmalized.  Add the tomatoes and allow the onions to complete carmalization process. 

Stir in the flour, cook one minute.  Slowly add the broth and the reserved juice from the tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook ten minutes.  Puree the soup using either a blender or immersion blender.  Return pureed soup to pot and stir in the cream.  bring to a simmer and season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to your taste preference.

Linguine with Cilantro and Pepita Pesto

This Month’s Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine showed a link for her new cookbook challenge.  Curiosity got the best of me (besides, like I could ever pass up a challenge!) so I looked up the link (here).   

The cookbook “High Flavor, Low Labor” by J.M. Hirsch, quickly catches my eye.  Hey, I’m all for less work!  Rachael’s recipe pick was for Linguine with Cilantro and Pepita Pesto.  What is a pepita???  Unshelled pumpkin seeds!  While the original recipe called for a manchego cheese, I sure couldn’t find it in any of our stores. A quick web search gave me a few alternative cheeses depending on if they were asking for aged manchego or not.  Since I was making a pesto I went with the assumption that aged would be best as I don’t like semi soft cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella in my pesto.  The cheese of my choice was a pecorino Romano.

Linguine with Cilantro and Pepita  Pesto    

12 ounces linguine
4 ounces manchego cheese, cut into small chunks, plus extra for garnish (I used Romano) 1⁄2 cup roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) I could only find raw pepitas so had to toast them first
1 cup packed fresh cilantro, thick stems removed  I do not like that much cilantro so adjusted to my own taste
1⁄2 tablespoon jarred jalapeño pepper slices
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1⁄4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the cheese and pepitas. Pulse until finely ground. Add the cilantro, jalapeño peppers, garlic, oil, and lime juice. Process until the mixture forms fine, moist crumbs. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the pesto and the reserved cooking water to the pasta and toss well to coat and heat the pesto. Serve topped with additional cheese.