Simmer down. Italian food has nothing to do with "effete snobbery". For the most part, it's very simple, based on fresh ingredients.
And on tradition. Traditionally, pasta, rice, and soup are first courses. They're eaten before the meat, poultry, or fish course. While pasta sauces may contain meat or shellfish--ragu alla bolognese is famous, as is spaghetti alle vongole--they don't contain a LOT of meat or shellfish. And pasta dishes are not over-sauced. Here in the U.S., they often are.
Main courses, as I said, usually consist of meat, fish, or poultry. Portions are much smaller than they would be here in the States, except for special preparations like bistecca alla Fiorentina. That's a very thick, very rare t-bone, but even so, it's meant to be shared, not eaten by one person. The second course may be accompanied by a green vegetable, and/or followed by salad. Sometimes the salad is served with a roast, which works well.
But chicken with pasta? Nope. It just doesn't work. People eat it here in the States because Americans tend to believe every dish has to contain meat of some kind.
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