It’s a question worthy of true debate: What’s the best pasta shape? You could argue that certain noodles are built to handle certain sauces. You could make a case that stuffed pasta creations like ravioli offer an extra dimension to the dish, but those tasty pillows don’t soak up their surroundings as well as a tender pile of pappardelle.

It’s hard to choose a single plate for dinner at a great Italian-American restaurant like Fresco Italiano, a quiet gem at the Westgate resort just east of the Las Vegas Strip. But there’s one dish that leaps off this menu with bold promise: the shortrib tortellini gigante.