Homemade Pasta (Cavatelli & Papaloni)

Steps

1. For the egg pasta, make a large well in the flour. Crack two eggs into the well and season with salt.
2. Whisk the eggs until uniform, then begin incorporating the flour gradually into the well, mixing by hand (the 'Nona style').
3. Once the dough holds its shape, use a scraper or your fingers to incorporate the remaining flour until the dough is no longer wet or sticky.
4. Knead the egg dough using body weight: push down, fold in half, give it a quarter turn. Continue kneading until the dough is elastic and smooth.
5. Wrap the egg dough in plastic (or a clean towel/bowl) to prevent drying out and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
6. For the semolina pasta, make a well with the semolina flour. Add water and salt, then begin working in the semolina using a scraper.
7. If needed, add small amounts of extra water or flour to bring the dough together; do not overmix.
8. Wrap the semolina dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
9. To make Cavatelli (semolina dough), roll out a piece of dough into a snake. Cut this into uniform long nuggets.
10. Using your thumb, press down on each nugget and roll away from yourself to form a cup shape with ridges inside the shell.
11. Alternatively, use a butter knife: pull it towards you at a slight angle while applying downward pressure to squeeze out the pasta.
12. To make Papaloni (egg dough), unwrap the egg dough. Flatten about 1/3 of the dough and dust lightly with flour.
13. Roll the flattened dough through your pasta machine, starting on setting one. Fold the dough over itself before passing it through again to ensure evenness.
14. Increase the setting gradually from one up to seven (or eight if faster) until the dough is long and thin sheets.
15. Cut the resulting sheet of egg dough into desired lengths. Lay them flat on a tray, ensuring they do not stick together.
16. For cooking Cavatelli: Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the pasta and stir immediately so it does not stick or clump.
17. Cook until done by tasting; the pasta should have texture and bite.
18. Using a spider strainer, remove the cooked Cavatelli and transfer them directly into the hot sauce without draining completely. Add some of the starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce.
19. For cooking Papaloni: Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the paperell (egg dough) using tongs and cook for about 2-3 minutes, as it is thinner than cavatelli.
20. Remove the cooked paparoni with tongs, swirl them in the sauce, and add some pasta water if needed to emulsify.