There are supposed to be people for whom pasta is one thing above all else: the vehicle that enables them to shovel loads of Parmesan on their plates. Hard cheese is by no means mandatory with pasta. In fact, many innkeepers find it funny, for example, when tourists from all over the world demand cheese grated with fish or seafood for their Primo. I don't care whether cheese or not should be decided by whoever has to eat the dish. On the other hand, I find it exciting to see what can be used as a subsequent topping for spaghetti and the like.