Grace Elkus Bianconi

0 Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
1 Heat the oil in a large deep sauté pan or braiser over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallots, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder and stir to coat.
2 Drain one can of beans, but don’t rinse it. Add to the pan along with the entire second can of beans, liquid and all. Fill one of the now-empty cans halfway with water; keep near the stove.
3 Simmer the mixture, smashing the beans with the back of your spoon and stirring often, until the beans are thickened but not dry, 8 to 12 minutes. (Add a splash of the reserved water if the beans look dry at any point during cooking). Remove from the heat and squeeze in the juice of half a lime. Season with salt to taste. Slice the remaining lime half into wedges for serving.
4 Meanwhile, arrange the cheese in 8 equal circles (a little larger than the size of the tortillas) on both prepared baking sheets (4 per sheet). Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets and bake for 3 minutes more until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Make sure you have your tortillas ready. 
5 Remove from the oven. Working quickly, firmly press one tortilla on top of each cheese circle. Return to the oven to warm the tortillas and finish crisping the cheese, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute, then use a sturdy metal spatula to flip each tortilla so that the cheese layer is facing upwards.
6 Divide the beans evenly between the tortillas (about 1/4 cup per tortilla), then top with the pico de gallo, cilantro, and pepitas. Serve with lime wedges and, if desired, hot sauce.