Physicists have discovered the key to a consistently delicious cacio e pepe pasta, a traditional Italian dish made with black pepper and pecorino cheese.

Cooking cacio e pepe involves melting the cheese with some of the water the pasta is cooked in to create a smooth sauce, but achieving this is notoriously tricky. If the mixture becomes too hot or has the incorrect balance of cheese and starch from the pasta water, then the sauce will become unpleasantly lumpy rather than smooth.