Physicists find key to perfect pasta – but it’s not how Mamma used to make it

"Cacio e pepe, once thought to be a simple dish made with minimal effort, actually requires precise measurements and scientific precision to achieve a perfectly smooth sauce free from clumps. Researchers have developed a method using powdered starch instead of traditional pasta water, cooling down the mixture before blending it with cheese and pepper for optimal results. The study also highlights that even home cooks need only a 2-3% cheese-to-starch ratio to avoid clumping, while scientists had to consume nearly 6kg of cheese during their experiments."