Besciamella
The white sauce that holds lasagna together
Italian besciamella: a smooth béchamel of butter, flour and warm milk seasoned with salt and nutmeg, essential for lasagna and baked pasta.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4 cups
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk, warmed
- Salt
- Fresh nutmeg
Instructions
- 01
Cook the roux. Melt butter, whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes until it smells like biscuits, not raw flour.
- 02
Add milk warm. Pour in warm milk a ladle at a time, whisking until smooth before the next addition.
- 03
Thicken. Simmer gently 8 minutes until it coats a spoon.
- 04
Season. Salt and grate in nutmeg. Press plastic to the surface if holding.
Larry’s rule: Cold milk into hot roux is how you get lumps. Warm the milk first and whisk like you mean it.