Scientists in 2025 applied physics to perfect classic recipes for cacio e pepe pasta and boiled eggs, blending rigorous analysis with culinary tradition. While some praised the innovations, others criticized them as unnecessary interference in time-honored practices. The studies garnered widespread attention, including awards and media buzz.
In January 2025, Ivan Di Terlizzi and his team at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Germany published their findings on achieving a perfect cacio e pepe pasta sauce. This Roman dish features a tricky emulsion of black pepper, pecorino cheese, and water, often prone to clumping. Through testing hundreds of sauce variations, the researchers identified cornstarch as the key additive for a smooth texture. They supported their conclusion with graphs and diagrams detailing optimal proportions of cheese, starch, and water.
The work sparked controversy, particularly in Italy. Social media reactions included complaints like, “We have been doing these recipes for years now; these scientists want to teach us how to do new things; cooking should be more about love rather than science,” Di Terlizzi noted. Despite the backlash, the scientific community responded positively, with peers approaching him at conferences for details. In September, the team received an Ig Nobel prize, which honors research that amuses before provoking thought. Di Terlizzi described it as “finding order in the world that looks like a mess if you don’t look very closely with the eyes of rigour and mathematics.”
A few months earlier, in February, Ernesto Di Maio and colleagues at the University of Naples in Italy introduced a method for perfectly boiled eggs. The technique involves cycling the egg between 30°C water and boiling water every two minutes for eight cycles, taking at least 30 minutes to ensure even cooking of the white and yolk, which solidify at different temperatures.
This approach gained online popularity but drew criticism for its length compared to quick traditional boiling. It even featured in unexpected spots, such as a live demonstration on Japan's public broadcaster and a question on Italy's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Di Maio shared, “I’m just back from Washington, DC, where I went to a workshop for research management, and I cooked eggs for 30 people at one ambassador’s house.” The underlying principles are now adapting to industrial applications, like creating layered plastics through sequential temperature curing.