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STEUBENVILLE - Scaffidi's Pasta, 2198 Sunset Blvd. is a bit of Little Italy, courtesy of the Ohio Valley.

It's small, like many of New York's family-owned Italian restaurants, but the recipes are classics from two names from the local Italian-American community, Scaffidi and Lamantia.

Dawn Scaffidi and her husband Nino opened the new restaurant on Wednesday, offering sit-down dining in a classic little Italian restaurant atmosphere, a feeling like Grandma's dining room on a Sunday afternoon.

Dawn said it's the recipes learned from her mother, Theresa Lamantia, and her mother-in-law, Lucia Scaffidi, and the homemade touch that makes the menu.

Lucia was a co-owner of Pittera's Market. Dawn's aunt was involved with Caruso's in Wellsburg. And Nino's relatives had a restaurant in Mingo Junction that was remembered for its steaks and salads. It was a small place and reservations had to be made for the steak dinners.

Nino makes it clear that Scaffidi's Pasta isn't connected to the old Mingo Junction restaurant, but says it is traditional Italian food, with all homemade pasta and homemade sauce. Dawn said the Scaffidi family recipe for salad dressing will be used on the salads from her kitchen, and plans are for eventual steak nights to be held.

But in the meantime, Scaffidi's Pasta has an extensive menu, featuring a wide variety of homemade fare, from traditional meat or marinara sauces to a "frutta di mare" (from the sea) pasta with shrimp and clams. There is The Dino (yes, named after Steubenville's own native son's favorite dish), an aglio olio pasta with Parmesan cheese. Or the Prata, named after the town of Prata Sanita, Italy, featuring pasta with sausage, peppers, olive oil and garlic.

Those are just some of the variety of pasta dishes available.

Lunch specials include a $5 half panini sandwich with a house salad or wedding soup.

The wedding soup is sure to bring smiles to the face of Italian customers, with its pastina and little meatballs recalling the taste of many local grandmother's Sunday afternoon meals, as well as to satisfy the taste buds of those who don't have such memories.

There is Italian chili, antipasta, bruschetta, and a variety of paninis.

Pasta may be served family style in the restaurant or for take-out.

There also are Italian specialty desserts, from cannoli to "chocolate ravioli," and pizzelles.

Nino and Dawn both credit the work of Lou Stein, executive director of Valley Ventures, with helping them find a location and establish the restaurant.

The building, a small house that has had a variety of commercial tenants during the past few decades, last was set up for a carry-out food business. It was white inside, with blue trim and a counter stretching across the width of the room near the door. Nino and his crew have turned the building back into a homey atmosphere, with the dining room trimmed in traditional Italian style, complete with Italian music from an antique radio and wine-bottle candle holders on the tables.

Nino, who said he will continue on his job as a supervisor with Wal-Mart Distribution Center 7017 in Wintersville, wanted a specific feel to the renovations.

"We want everyone to feel like they're coming to our house on a Sunday afternoon. That's the feeling," he said.

There is seating for 25 patrons. Carry-out is available throughout the Steubenville/Mingo Junction/Wintersville area and into portions of Weirton, and catering of parties on site or at the restaurant is available.

Dawn has a background in retail management, but cooking has been part of her life forever.

"My sisters-in-law and I would meet at Mom's house and make tons of pasta and gnocchi," she said. And Sundays remain a traditional day of cooking and getting together with family for traditional Italian families, so cooking family recipes comes naturally. She said her mother and mother-in-law both were ready to share their recipes for the restaurant.

Scaffidi's Pasta features Steubenville Bakery bread.

Homemade pasta products, as well as jars of Scaffidi's La Pasta Nostra sauces, are available for purchase. Dawn said customers will be able to order fully-cooked meals or pasta and sauces, or even a lasagna, to take home and cook for dinner.

For information, or to place an order for pick-up or delivery or to make reservations, call Scaffidi's Pasta at (740) 314-5233.

(Giannamore's e-mail address is pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)