LAFAYETTE PARISH (LAFAYETTE) — The forecast may be cloudy, but there’s a strong chance of meatballs in Lafayette as National Spaghetti Day is served up with classic Italian flavor.
In River Ranch, Romacelli Restaurant and Bar marked the food holiday by spotlighting one of its most popular menu items, that has kept customers coming back for more since the restaurant opened in 2010.
Romacelli has built a reputation for bringing traditional Italian cuisine to Acadiana, and National Spaghetti Day offered the perfect opportunity to celebrate a longtime favorite.
“It’s over a bed of angel hair,” said front-of-house manager Michael Ancelat. “We have our red bolognese sauce, topped off with four delicious meatballs we source from Hebert’s in Maurice— shoutout to them—and then we finish it with parmesan and some parsley flakes.”
Ancelat has worked in the food and service industry since his teenage years and says the key to Romacelli’s spaghetti isn’t just the pasta or the meatballs—it’s the sauce.
“It’s the red bolognese sauce,” he said. “We have a special ingredient in it called love.”
The dish remains a staple on the menu year-round, not just on National Spaghetti Day. According to Ancelat, spaghetti is consistently one of the restaurant’s top sellers.
“I’ve only heard great things from people.”
As National Spaghetti Day comes around once a year, Romacelli’s staff says it’s a reminder of why simple, classic dishes continue to stand the test of time—and why a plate of spaghetti and meatballs can still steal the spotlight.
Dining and Cooking