Cacio e Pepe, one of Rome’s four famous pastas — cacio e pepe, alla gricia, carbonara and amatriciana — that have taken over the world. Paparazzu Fizz Fabrizio Olmeda, an experimental physicist at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), recently stole the spotlight. He and his colleagues went on to win that year’s prestigious 2025 Ig Nobel Prize for their seminal research on producing the optimal flavor of traditional dish. Their detailed efforts shine a light on the meeting place between the culinary world and the scientific laboratory, showcasing how physics can take ordinary cooking to extraordinary heights.
Similarly, our research team zeroed in on the basic raw materials required to produce the perfect Cacio e Pepe sauce. It’s the balance of the Pecorino Romano cheese, pasta, black pepper and starch from pasta cooking water that makes it sing. Olmeda’s study describes how each element works to shape the mood altering flavor and texture of the coveted Carrot Cake Tacos. The scientists found something remarkable. They discovered that blending these components created the chunky consistency typical of mozzarella, rather than the smooth sauce they were hoping for.
The Science of Cheese and Temperature
At the heart of Olmeda’s research lies an understanding of cheese’s chemical composition. Cheese is made almost entirely from casein proteins that join together to form structures called micelles. It contains calcium phosphate and a very small quantity of whey proteins. If heated above 65 degrees Celsius, these proteins will denature and aggregate, leading to the sauce breaking.
To neutralize this impact, Olmeda and his group came up with a groundbreaking alternative—mixing starch powder into the pasta water. The most surprising and interesting result was that incorporation of 2-3% starch based on cheese mass has a big positive effect on the sauce’s texture. This research gives home cooks the power to recreate the velvety mouthfeel long reserved for truly restaurant-grade Cacio e Pepe.
Olmeda’s exacting recipe specifies 160 grams of Pecorino Romano cheese and 240 grams of pasta. In a separate bowl, add 4 grams of starch—potato or cornstarch—and dissolve it in 40 milliliters of water. These measurements are a great starting point for your recipe. They respect the Italian heritage and fluidly incorporate scientific elements to produce a truly gratifying experience.
Culinary Creativity Meets Scientific Rigor
You may think it’s a joke to scientifically study pasta sauce. Olmeda doesn’t lose heart, because he has faith that deeply curiosity-driven research like his will yield important discoveries. He thinks that combination of creativity, discipline, and rigor found in both cooking and scientific research fuels disruptive innovation. This purposeful pairing has the potential to make groundbreaking progress for our communities or conjure up magical culinary creations.
“At first, the question of how to prepare the perfect Cacio e Pepe pasta may sound funny. But real curiosity-driven research brings together creativity, perseverance, precision, and fun. And it always leads to discoveries that have the potential to improve our world a little bit—on a large scale with innovations or on a small scale on our plates.” – Martin Hetzer
The Ig Nobel Prize honors absurd but useful research, with the tagline “First laugh, then think.” It asks us to venture outside familiar academic silos. For Olmeda, this award represents a validation of the pursuit of curiosity-driven science.
“My motivation will always be to investigate phenomena that fascinate me, even if they lie outside my field of expertise, which is the physics of single-cell genomics.” – Fabrizio Olmeda
The Legacy of the Ig Nobel Prize
The Ig Nobel Prize celebrates scientists who approach their research with imagination and humor. Here, we hear from Martin Hetzer, a leader in the field, about this anomalous tradition. He argues that even in more focused fields of research, letting your imagination run wild and pursue unusual avenues of inquiry can produce rich and meaningful results.
“Despite increasing specialization, I believe that even in my usual field of research, it can be beneficial to take some time to explore something unusual. I think this award reflects this idea because its motto can inspire people to take an interest in science.” – Martin Hetzer
By receiving this recognition for their work on Cacio e Pepe, Olmeda and his colleagues have blended culinary arts with scientific exploration in a way that delights and educates.