Physicists have unravelled the secret of the perfect pasta sauce and won a prize for it

The 2025 Ignobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to a team of scientists for their research into the preparation of the perfect sauce for Italian pasta "cacio e pepe". This is reported by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).

The winner was ISTA postdoc Fabrizio Olmeda together with colleagues from the University of Padua, Barcelona and the Max Planck Institute in Dresden. Their work appeared in the journal Physics of Fluids and was recognised with a prize at a ceremony in Boston on 18 September.

Cacho e pepe sauce is a classic of Roman cuisine, but it is difficult to achieve its creamy texture without lumps, even for Italians. Usually, when heated above 65 °C, the proteins in the cheese denature, turning the sauce into a heterogeneous mass. Scientists decided to study this process from the perspective of fluid physics.

The study showed that the key to perfect consistency is the right amount of starch. It helps stabilise the mixture of water and cheese, preventing curdling. According to the authors, it is enough to add 2-3% starch (of the weight of the cheese), dissolve it in water and heat it until it forms a gel. Only then can grated cheese be added to it and mixed gently over low heat.

The full recipe according to the version of scientists looks like this:

• 4 g potato or corn starch

• 40 ml water to dissolve the starch

• 160 g pecorino Romano cheese

• 240 g pasta (preferably tonnarelli)

• Pasta cooking water

• Salt and black pepper to taste

The sauce is cooked separately, then added to the pasta and brought to the desired consistency. If necessary, add a little of the cooking water.

"At first glance, the scientific approach to pasta may seem like a curiosity," says ISTA president Martin Hetzer. - But that's exactly how science works - out of curiosity, with precision, persistence and a dose of fun."

Fabrizio Olmeda explains that he was inspired by the usual frustration of failed attempts:

"I am always drawn to those phenomena that really fascinate me, even if they lie outside my specialisation - which is the physics of single-cell genomics."

The prize recognised the value of creativity in science. As Ignobel's motto goes - "Laugh first, think later." And now - perhaps also sing.