I love Italian food! Even though it's so good, it's often so simple! Many dishes have only two to four main ingredients!
I don't know a lot about Italian food, other than I like it.  Are there a lot of regional variations?
Yes! There are actually huge variations! Especially between the north and south parts of the Italian peninsula.
What are some of the variations?  Do all regions focus on tomatoes and pasta?
Pasta and tomatoes are big parts of Italian cuisine, but many dishes also feature fish, vegetables and olive oil!
I love olive oil!  Do olives grow well in Italy?  They must for it to be so prevalent in the cuisine.
Olives are actually grown across the Mediterranean Basin from Portugal to the Levant and as far east as China! 
Oh cool!  That is a huge range.  So are meatballs native to Italy?