NOTES:
(*1) I used the La Costena brand of Pinto beans which come seasoned. If you can't find a seasoned variety, consider seasoning it yourself with a Mexican spice blend.
(*2) For the garnishes, I recommend the Tajin spice, diced red onion, reserved green onion, and cilantro. At the very least, make sure to use the Tajin spice, it's magic with the queso.

NOTES:
(*1) A standard serving of pasta is 2 ounces. I rarely find that to be enough so I added an additional ounce per serving. If you choose to go with 8 ounces instead, you'll simply have more zucchini to go around. Make sure to reduce the amount of pasta water you're using to avoid a swampy mess.

NOTES:

(*1) - There are quite a few different sizes of shells available. Typically, you'll find the largest ones that we would use for stuffed shells, the medium sized ones like I've used, and the smaller sized shells. I suggest the medium size because it pairs well with the clunkier cubes of cheddar & pickles. If you can't find them, go for the smaller ones.

(*2) - I used extra old marble because I had it on hand. Any old cheddar will work but make sure it's been aged and has the pungent flavour. It's the perfect contrast to the pickles.

(*3) -  For me, the only pickle to use for this recipe is garlicky dills. If needed, regular dills would work as well. I wouldn't recommend gherkins because they're not sour enough, nor would I recommend sweet and sour pickles simply because the flavours wouldn't meld.