The pasta bowl’s bottom is flat and its walls are slightly more vertical, so it can hold more. There are many reasons why it’s the most popular piece: First, it's more versatile than the name suggests. Technically a bowl, you don’t always have to treat it like one: Go ahead and eat a steak off of it. And its in-between size makes it suitable for entrées and larger appetizers alike. Basically: If you need one piece to start your collection, make it this one.