Classic, traditional béchamel sauce
How to make classic homemade béchamel sauce: a simple recipe using milk, butter and flour, ideal for lasagne, cannelloni and vegetable gratins.
Servings: 4
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: about 10 minutes
Cereal base: plain flour
Star ingredient: milk
Balance: carbohydrates, fats and proteins in milk
Inspiration: a classic dish from Italian cuisine
Ingredients
- 500 ml of whole milk
- 50 g butter
- 50 g of type 0 flour
- Salt to taste.
- Nutmeg, to taste.
Procedure
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan without bringing it to the boil.
- In another small saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. Add the flour and stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour in the warm milk a little at a time, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
- Season with salt and nutmeg. Cook over a low heat, stirring, until the desired consistency is reached.
Extra tips
- For the lasagne: Make sure the béchamel sauce is creamy and fairly runny; this will help keep the pastry layers soft.
- For the vegetable gratin: Let it thicken a little more, so that it coats the vegetables well.
- For the cannelloni: Choose a medium consistency – creamy but not too runny.
Keep stirring whilst it’s cooking and take the béchamel sauce off the heat whilst it’s still slightly runny: it will thicken as it cools.
Italian 
English