By: Sarah Menanix, Snixy Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) plus additional for garnish
- 4 cups boiling water
- 2 small jalapeño chiles, halved and seeded
- Kosher salt
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 sugar pumpkin or winter squash
- 3-4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4-6 cloves unpeeled garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 6-ounce block Roth® Original Grand Cru® Cheese, grated
- 1 medium yellow onion, halved vertically and sliced
- 12-16 warm tortillas
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Mexican style crema or sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place pepitas in large bowl; pour boiling water over. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, halve the pumpkin for filling and drizzle cut sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Place pumpkin halves cut-side-down on lined baking sheet. Scatter 4-6 garlic cloves and jalapeño chiles around sheet. Roast 20 minutes.
- Remove garlic cloves and chiles from sheet. Set them aside. Continue baking pumpkin about 25 additional minutes until soft and cooked thoroughly. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the “crema”. Drain reserved pepitas; place in food processor or high powered blender. Add roasted chiles, salt, 3-4 tablespoons lime juice and 3/4 cup water. Blend until smooth and viscous enough for drizzling, adding up to 1/2 cup additional water, if necessary.
- For filling, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in large skillet. Place glass of water nearby. Add onions; cook, stirring, until they begin to caramelize. Stop stirring and increase heat to medium low. Pour 2-3 tablespoons water in skillet and deglaze, using spatula to scrape up brown bits. Repeat this process until onions have been thoroughly caramelized, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Scoop cooled pumpkin from shells. Place in medium bowl. Remove peeling from reserved roasted garlic cloves. Mince and combine with pumpkin; add smoked paprika and salt to taste.
- Warm tortillas according to package directions or your preferred method. Fill each with 3 tablespoons pumpkin filling, 1 tablespoon reserved onions and 1-2 tablespoons grated Roth Grand Cru®. Roll each tightly; place in dish that accommodates them snugly to keep them tight.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high. Fry in batches, 2-3 minutes on each side. Place in serving dish.
- Mix “crema” and 2 tablespoons lime juice for drizzling. Add water by the teaspoon, if necessary. Serve the taquitos drizzled with “crema”. Sprinkle with toasted pepitas and more cheese, if desired.