In Italy pasta dishes are usually considered ‘primi piatti’—first courses. I don’t know how many guests you’re having or how elaborate you want it to be, but if you want to be formally/authentically Italian you might consider serving an appetizer like bruschetta, followed by a small serving of pasta, and then follow with a main course of meat or fish (with dessert and coffee after everyone has had some time to recover!). Tuscan recipes for meat are especially delicious! Here’s one for Tuscan lamb shank with white beans that I haven’t tried but would like to:
Tuscan Lamb Shanks Recipe - Lamb - MyRecipes.com
You can substitute extra stock, water, or even an unsweetened juice for the red wine that the recipe calls for.