Scientists reveal top tips to perfect your cacio e pepe recipe
However, the simplicity of its ingredients can be misleading. Many assume it's easy to make, only to end up with a clumpy mess instead of the silky, creamy sauce that they hoped for.
Advertisement
Intrigued by the challenge, researchers from the University of Barcelona, the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, the University of Padova, and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria took it upon themselves to investigate the physics behind mixing cheese with water. Now, they believe they've cracked the code to perfecting this classic dish.
All you need is pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, pepper and some starch (Alamy/PA)
Explaining the motives behind this study, which was published in Physics of Fluids, author Ivan Di Terlizzi said: 'We are Italians living abroad. We often have dinner together and enjoy traditional cooking.
'Among the dishes we have cooked was cacio e pepe, and we thought this might be an interesting physical system to study and describe. And of course, there was the practical aim to avoid wasting good Pecorino.'
After conducting tests that honed in on the quantities of these ingredients, the researchers determined that a 2% to 3% starch-to-cheese ratio created the smoothest and most consistent sauce.
Advertisement
Use powdered starch, suggest the researchers (Alamy/PA)
To achieve this level of precision, the team recommend using powdered starch – such as potato or corn starch – instead of depending on the unpredictable starch content of pasta water.
'Because starch is such an important ingredient, and the amount of starch can sharply determine where you end up, what we suggest is to use an amount of starch which is precisely measured,' advised Di Terlizzi. 'And this can only be done if you have the right amount of powdered starch in proportion to the amount of cheese that you're using.'
Once the starch is added to the water, the authors' instructions say to blend it with the cheese for a uniform consistency, before adding the sauce back into the pan and slowly heating it up to serving temperature.
If you've ever attempted to make cacio e pepe, you might have noticed that excessive heat can cause pieces of grated cheese to clump together, resulting in that dreaded, lumpy texture.
Advertisement
To avoid this, the researchers experimented with different temperatures and recommend letting the water cool slightly before adding the cheese, and then to gradually warm up the sauce to reach the desired consistency.
Then mix in the pepper and pasta, and eat.
And after perfecting the cacio e pepe recipe, the team are keen to conduct further experiments on other popular Italian dishes.
'There's a recipe called pasta alla gricia, which is cacio e pepe plus guanciale, cured pork cheek,' said author Daniel Maria Busiello. 'This recipe seems to be easier to perform, and we don't know exactly why. This is one idea we might explore in the future.'
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Osteoarthritis patients report knee sleeve easing pain
An electronic knee sleeve is helping people with osteoarthritis to walk further and reduce pain, researchers have wearable device has been developed by a team from the University of Southampton with input from physiotherapists and sleeve uses transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Tens) - with electrodes printed around the knee area, which are connected to an electronic control Kai Yang said participants in a trial of the device reported it could "reduce pain and stiffness". Knee osteoarthritis - a degenerative joint disease that causes pain and stiffness - is thought to affect about five million people in the device is currently undergoing a 12-week clinical trial involving participants with knee osteoarthritis. Patients use it for up to one hour at a time, five to seven days per week. Among those taking part, Mike Coyne, 58, from Hedge End, is on the NHS waiting list for a knee replacement, having suffered with osteoarthritis for about eight years."With the sleeve on, I can walk a lot further and a lot quicker, without limping," he said."It's really helped me when it comes to taking my dog Charlie for a walk – taking him out is now enjoyable exercise rather than a painful chore. "With the sleeve, I can get a bit of exercise – it's improved my overall health."Prof Yang said: "The response from participants has been fantastic, with most reporting that it is helping to reduce pain and stiffness, enabling them to do more activities. "The device is also comfortable to wear and easy to use."The project is funded by the Medical Research Council. The research team is aiming to recruit 80 people diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, aged between 45 and 75, to join the trial of the knee sleeve. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Expecting a boy or girl? The outcome will change your outlook on life – and your future earnings
Being the eldest sibling comes with a host of responsibilities, but the impact of being a boy or girl may be even bigger than previously thought. Scientists have discovered that when parents have a child, their life alters depending on whether they have a boy or a girl. Those who have a girl go on to adopt more traditional gender roles, data show. Women earn less money after giving birth to a girl, are less likely to resume careers, do more housework, and view the world in a more traditional way. University of Warwick researchers dubbed this the 'daughter penalty' phenomenon and its impacts are significant on fathers, mothers, the eldest child, and other younger children too. Previous studies have found that women bear the brunt of loss of earnings when having a first child, with men less likely to have career setbacks. Relationship quality However, this study is the first to show that having a daughter is worse for this than having a son. 'The sex of the first child has a substantial influence on women's labour market outcomes, on the division of household work and childcare, on views on gendered roles, on mental health and on relationship quality,' study lead author Dr Sonia Bhalotra from Warwick told The Telegraph. Analysis found that, on average, a mother's monthly earnings over the five years after birth were £450 lower if they had a daughter compared with a son. For fathers, monthly earnings were £195 higher if they had a daughter compared with a son. 'To put these figures in perspective, they exceed the child benefit for first children (which is approximately £110 per month),' Dr Bhalotra said. Women themselves take on more housework and domestic duties after having a daughter than after a son, the scientists found, and suffer worse mental health as a result. Men, however, see no change. In households where the daughter penalty is being felt, the father is less likely to consider divorce, the study found, and younger siblings grow up in an environment with entrenched stereotypical gender roles. Gender norms 'This could act as a mechanism for the perpetuation of gender norms,' the scientists write in their study. 'It also follows that boys growing up with first-born sisters may exhibit stronger gender norms than boys growing up with first-born brothers.' If the eldest child is a son the division of labour is more fair and mothers and fathers are seen as equals, whereas in daughter-first households this dynamic is less likely. This could create an environment where younger sons are accustomed to women being less powerful and as a result make them more susceptible to the manosphere narrative, the scientists warn, which leads to the red pill viewpoints, incel culture and other misogynistic behaviours. 'First-born girls grow up exposed to more traditional gender divisions among their parents than first born boys,' Dr Bhalotra said. 'As a result of which, a large fraction of women in society may have traditional norms instilled in them even if the men who are their contemporaries don't. 'Boys with an older sister grow up with more entrenched prototypical gender norms than boys with an older brother and eldest sons.' Family unit It is plausible, she added, that boys with an older sister could be more vulnerable to misogynistic influences as a result of their lifelong exposure to more gendered roles in the family unit. 'I am not aware of research that conclusively establishes this link, but it looks plausible,' Dr Bhalotra said. The team is now looking at future research which will investigate deeper the possible ramifications of the daughter penalty on the children and siblings. One route of investigation in an upcoming study will see how world view and gendered perspectives change depending on your siblings. 'Our findings imply that girls and boys in the UK are, on average, growing up in different home environments, with girls growing up in households that, by multiple markers, are more gender-regressive,' the scientists write in their paper. 'This is potentially a mechanism for the inter-generational transmission of gendered norms.' Dr Bhalotra said that the daughter penalty is also seen throughout society, irrespective of politics, wealth, health and education. The child penalty is smaller among parents with a college degree, but the daughter penalty is larger, the scientists found, and it is also larger among parents who have more progressive gender norms.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Common pill taken by millions could ‘slash your risk of dementia and dying young'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CHEAP pill already taken by millions of patients could slash your risk of dementia and early death, scientists say. This is none other than metformin, "the most widely prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes", according to researchers from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Diabetes pill metformin could lower the risk of dementia and death Credit: Alamy They found that people who were taking the treatment were less likely to develop memory-robbing dementia or die from any cause. The results were based on a study of 452,777 adults who were either overweight or obese, published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Obesity and diabetes have both been shown to up the risk of dementia. Some studies report that diabetics have a 70 per cent higher risk of getting the condition, compared to those without diabetes. Meanwhile, being obese between the ages of 35-65 can increase dementia risk in later-life by about 30 per cent. Metformin is the most common treatment for type 2 diabetes, which affects over 5 million Brits, according to Diabetes UK. The drug is also used to help prevent type 2 diabetes in people at high risk of developing it. It works by curbing the amount of sugar pumped around the body by the liver and helping the insulin you produce work better. "Metformin has many advantages over other diabetic drugs. It has strong glucose-lowering effects, a reliable safety profile and is relatively cheap," researchers said. "Metformin also reduces the likelihood of dementia in patients with diabetes." Common painkiller used for back pain ups risk of dementia by 29%, scientists warn But some studies suggest the drug doesn't protect against dementia, as it can cause vitamin B12 deficiency, which has been linked to cognitive decline. It could increase the risk of Alzheimer's, a type of dementia, research suggests. "Whether metformin's beneficial effects in patients with dementia can be applied to the general population is unclear," the study authors noted. The study included about 905,000 people in total, split evenly into two groups: metformin users and non-metformin users. They were matched to be similar in age, health, and other factors for a fair comparison. The metformin group had been prescribed the drug at least twice in their lives, for at least six months. Researchers categorised study participants by their body mass index (BMI) as: Overweight: BMI 25–29.9 Obese class I: BMI 30–34.9 Obese class II: BMI 35–39.9 Morbidly obese: BMI over 40 They followed patients for 10 years and found that those who took metformin had a lower risk of developing dementia, regardless of their BMI. Class I and II obese patients saw the greatest reduction in risk - 8 and 4 per cent respectively, compared to people who didn't take metformin. Ways to lower dementia risk with type 2 diabetes Manage blood sugar levels Strictly follow a diabetes management plan, as prescribed by a healthcare professional. This includes medication, diet and exercise. Regularly monitor blood sugar levels and manage insulin appropriately. Adopt a healthy lifestyle Follow a balanced diet in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, with limited saturated fat, sugar, and salt. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and other conditions linked to dementia. Weight management through diet and exercise can help mitigate these risks. Engage in activities that challenge your mind, such as puzzles, reading, learning new skills, or socialising. Address other risk factors High blood pressure and cholesterol can damage blood vessels, increasing the risk of both cardiovascular disease and dementia. Regular check-ups and appropriate treatment are essential. Excessive alcohol consumption can negatively impact brain health. Moderate drinking or abstaining from alcohol can be beneficial. Hearing loss can contribute to cognitive decline. Addressing hearing problems through hearing aids or other interventions can help maintain cognitive function. Seek professional guidance Regular medical check-ups are important for monitoring overall health and identifying and addressing potential risk factors early on. Work with your doctor, diabetes educator, or other healthcare professionals to develop a personalized plan for managing your diabetes and reducing your risk of dementia. Researchers said the drug's ability to lower inflammation in obese patients may have something to do with this. "Since central nervous system inflammation and neuroinflammation are crucial factors in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of metformin are especially beneficial in patients with obesity," they wrote. "We observed that the protective effect of metformin against dementia was consistent across all BMI categories greater than 25." Metformin-users also had a lower risk of early death, between 28 and 26 per cent. "This study is strong because it included a large sample of metformin users and patients with obesity and dementia, using data from more than 184 million patients worldwide," researchers said. "The use of real-world data allows for a better understanding of how treatments perform in a heterogeneous population because the data are captured from diverse, real-life settings. "Therefore, the findings of this study can be readily generalised to whole populations." But they acknowledge that their study had certain limitations too, including that the dataset only covered a 10 year period, restricting researchers' ability to evaluate the long-term effects of metformin. They concluded: "Our study findings indicate that metformin may help reduce the risk of dementia in obese patients, which could further contribute to improving all-cause mortality. "However, further research is required to explore the mechanisms by which metformin reduces the risk of dementia." Experts have previously suggested that using metformin to help treat dementia could cut costs. Dr Sara Imarisio, who used to be head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'Repurposing an existing drug used for another health condition would be a cheaper and inexpensive way to bring about a new dementia treatment. 'Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia and there is a lot of interest in the links between the two conditions." But recent research suggests that weight-loss jabs are better at curbing dementia risk in people with type 2 diabetes than metformin. Metformin is generally the first-line medication for type 2 diabetes, while GLP-1 receptor agonists are often used as second-line or add-on therapy when metformin is not sufficient or tolerated.
