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When his father, Nick, took over a popular local enterprise that made gnocchis and some long-cut pastas, Nicky was about 10. That was some 23 years ago. Now the father and son run Lucy Foods together.

Today, the Lucy Foods line includes gnocchis, cavatelli, cheese, meat and tricolor tortellini, cheese and meat ravioli, stuffed shells and manicotti as well as long cuts of spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine and angel-hair pasta.

And the company distributes its line over a 150-mile-radius -- into Ohio and east to State College -- from their headquarters just outside Latrobe.

And that's about as far as the father-and-son team want to expand.

"We found a little niche and that's what we want to stay with," says Nick Zappone. "We plan to increase our direct-store delivery program -- increasing the number of stores within our area -- but we plan on staying local and keeping in our niche."

"Bigger is not always better," adds Nicky Zappone.

And the two chime together: "We'll focus on service and quality to our customers."

Many of those customers have been around for years. In fact, before he owned the company, Nick Zappone, too, was a customer.

The company, producing gnocchi and other pasta cuts under the brand name, Rizzo's, was started by the Sartoris family of Latrobe, according to Nick Zappone. ("The pasta label is not affiliated in any way with Rizzo's Malabar Inn in Crabtree," Zappone added.)

"I'd known the Sartoris family for a number of years," Zappone said. "They used to service the grocery store that my brother, Michael, and I had in South Greensburg." The Sartorises were considering getting out of the business, according to Zappone, and "after a few discussions, we decided to buy it." That was 1981.

All of the pasta made by Lucy Foods, is packaged and sold fresh-frozen. Two employees in the manufacturing end of the operation produce about 600 to 700 pounds of pasta a day. Another crew comes in later to package the pasta for distribution.

Zappone said the pasta business "runs a lot like the school term. Between September and June business picks up because people start cooking at home more."

Nicky Zappone is one of them. "I love to cook," he says. And his desire to be creative in his cooking has led him to start a business of his own -- Zappone Sausage Co. He makes sausages from different meats, with different seasonings and even sausages stuffed with Asiago and provolone cheese. "That Asiago sausage is great because when you cook it the cheese melts inside," said Nicky.

Also, about two months ago, the Zappones opened a retail outlet on the plant premises to sell both their pasta and Nicky's sausages as well as DelGrosso sauce.

"The good thing about pasta with sausage," said Nicky, "is that chefs and home cooks alike can be really creative with it. You can come up with anything from soups and appetizers to main courses."

Following is one of Nicky Zappone's recipes.

"This is one of my favorite ways to include one of our pastas and one of our homemade sausages into the same dish," said Nicky Zappone.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound hot chicken sausages
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• Pinch dried red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 pound gnocchi
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the sausage, and when it is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/4-inch slices. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.

Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.

Add the wine, and bring to a simmer. Add the sausage, tomatoes, water, rosemary, red-pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the gnocchi. Drain and toss with the sauce, the ricotta and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

For more information about Lucy Foods or Zappone Sausage Co. products and menu ideas, e-mail LucyFoods@aol.com or ZapSausage@aol.com.

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