What it is really great about Italian food is that it doesn’t exist!
Hehe, I picture your expression now. There is not a single Italian food, there thousands local cuisine traditions that date back to the Beginning of Time (well, maybe that's a bit too much...). Every city, even tiny towns, has their own unique courses. Personally, I prefer costal cities because of my fondness for seafood.
When you visit Italy, I’d suggest not to go to famous (and often overly expensive) restaurants, but rather look for a “Trattoria”.
“Trattorie” are frequently family-run businesses handed over form one generation to the other, which developed their unique dishes and, trust me, they are worth it!
Now I got hungry, let me get my cozze alla marinara…
I’ll see you around,
Johnny