An essential sauce in Italian cooking. Without béchamel, it would be impossible to make lasagna, cannelloni, many baked pasta dishes, or vegetable gratins. You can even simply toss it with pasta and bake it in the oven for a quick and comforting meal.
Making béchamel sauce is surprisingly easy, but I strongly recommend weighing the ingredients carefully. The right proportions are the secret to a perfectly smooth and creamy sauce.
Béchamel Sauce
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
Ingredients
- 50 g butter50 g all-purpose flour500 ml milkSalt • • Nutmeg
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat (photo 1).Once the butter has completely melted and starts to bubble gently, add the flour (photo 2). Whisk continuously until the flour is fully incorporated into the butter and no lumps remain (photo 3).
- Gradually pour in the warm milk in a thin stream (photo 4), whisking constantly. Continue cooking the sauce over low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens (photo 5).Season with salt and add a generous pinch of nutmeg (this is essential!).
- Cover the sauce with a lid if you are not using it immediately. Otherwise, a skin will form on the surface and may create lumps when the sauce is reheated or mixed into other dishes.
