Cheesy Pesto Baked Cavatelli

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Separate the kale leaves from the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Halve the tomatoes. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Small dice the mozzarella. Grate the fontina on the large side of a box grater. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 11 to 13 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. 

Meanwhile, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic and as much of the red pepper flakes as you'd like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes,  or until the kale is slightly wilted. Add the cream (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and 1/2 cup of  water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off. Turn off the heat and stir in the halved tomatoes.

To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked vegetables, diced mozzarella, grated fontina, and pesto. Stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to a large baking dish and arrange in an even layer. Evenly top with the seasoned breadcrumbs. 

Bake the casserole 9 to 11 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 2 minutes before serving. Serve the baked casserole garnished with the romano. Enjoy!