There's always room for discussion, but perhaps these previous topics will answer your inquiry.
How did the Tomato come to be such an integral part of Italian cuisine?
So if tomatoes are not native to Pre-Columbian Italy, what sauce did they use for their pastas?
What was Roman/Early Middle Ages food like in Italy?
What was Italian food like before they were introduced to the tomato?
When did "traditional Italian" cuisine start and what made it happen? The Roman food is almost nothing like it.