Cilantro-Jalapeño Pesto Spaghetti with Chorizo-Spiced Pork

Steps

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot with half of the salt.
2. Make the herb sauce: toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry large skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes until they pop, then tip them into a blender. Add the cilantro, 60 g of the spinach (one third), the jalapeño, the garlic, the lime juice, 30 g of the olive oil (three quarters) and the remaining half of the salt, and blend until smooth.
3. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
4. While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining quarter of the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until soft.
5. Add the ground pork, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Cook, breaking it into crumbles, 7 to 8 minutes until browned and cooked to 160°F (71°C).
6. Add the remaining two thirds of the spinach to the skillet and stir until wilted, about 1 minute.
7. Lower the heat, add the spaghetti and the herb sauce, and toss, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until glossy. Do not boil the sauce, so it stays bright green.
8. Divide among 4 bowls and top with the queso fresco.