Not rotini marinara. Or fettuccine Alfredo. Or linguine carbonara. Another time, I remember a college roommate shouting at another roommate's girlfriend over the question of whether it's OK to stop pasta from overcooking by running cold water over it while it's in the colander. I offer these anecdotes by way of warning.
People tend to get as passionate about pasta as missionaries do about theology.
And as with religion, there are many schools of thought, with very little on the topic carved in stone. There are a few basic principles, however, that will keep you out of trouble. Walk down any supermarket pasta aisle and you will find an impressive array. There are bow ties, pencil points, wheels, spirals, little tubes, big tubes, shells, long thick fettuccine, long thin angel-hair. Some is dried and sold in boxes.