Why it works: Pepper and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pizza
Serves 6Ingredients
Directions
Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Brussels Sprout | 1 cup (156g) | 56 |
| Red Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Pizza | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mozzarella cheese + oniontop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,287 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sauce + mozzarella cheesetop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together804 recipes
Shared aroma: decanoic acid (soapy, waxy).
-
Sauce + oniontop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together10,474 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Pepper + mozzarella cheesetop 24% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,534 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Sauce and onion barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 10,474 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the brussels sprouts
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sauce, pepper, mozzarella cheese, onion):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Spinachfits better
- Brussels sproutsthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sauce, pepper, mozzarella cheese, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
