Traditionally, why are 'pasta bowls' wide and shallow?

Question

I was curious as to why they're marketed as pasta bowls in the UK, and it's because they're frequently used for pasta (obviously). Buy why are bowls used for pasta traditionally wide and relatively shallow? As opposed to other types of bowl?

The reasons I can think of are potentially to do with serving size (i.e. can fit more in the bowl) or thermodynamics (larger surface area to allow faster cooling). But I don't know why either of these would specifically apply to pasta dishes.

For context, this is what is generally considered a pasta bowl here in the UK as far as I'm aware:

As compared to a cereal/all-purpose bowl:

Or a soup bowl/lipped bowl:

I understand that a 'pasta bowl' is not exclusively for pasta dishes and I know that other types of bowl are also used when it comes to serving pasta. But I'm interested in why, in the UK at least, a 'pasta bowl' is sold as such.

moscafj · Answer

My hypothesis is that there is no functional reason for having a wide rim on a pasta bowl. I contend that this is simply marketing, and the choice of the person presenting the meal. It is just a name for a bowl. Pasta is served in all sorts of vessels; plates, deep bowls, shallow bowls. Saucing, in part, determines the vessel. For example, you can't serve tortellini in brodo on a plate. Plates, bowls, and dishes are often designed and chosen for the way they compliment a final dish's visual appeal. The Chinese (and other noodle eating cultures) don't necessarily eat noodles from wide-rimmed bowls, and I would confidently guess that you wouldn't have to look that far back to find a time that there was really was no such thing presented as a wide-rimmed, pasta bowl. So, I would say that this is not a tradition at all. This is a product of restaurants, ceramic makers, and the media (magazines and food TV).

Answered by moscafj on March 25, 2021

Traditionally, why are 'pasta bowls' wide and shallow?

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