Béchamel Sauce (or more commonly White Sauce) is a staple ingredient in many Italian classic recipes. It can be commonly found jarred in stores but it's super easy (and even more delicious) to make at home from scratch with just 3 ingredients: butter, flour, and milk.
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I think I probably bought béchamel once or twice in my whole life. 99% of the time, I just make it from scratch. I personally like the taste of the homemade one better and I always have butter, flour, and milk available.
It's a staple of Italian cuisine and can be found in many traditional recipes, such as Lasagna, Cannelloni, Pasta al Forno. But also other types of preparations, such as gratins, vegetable bakes, and fritters.
For more Italian cooking tips, check out also this post on How to Bake Lasagna and this post on the best substitutes for Marsala wine.
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What is Béchamel
Béchamel, or Besciamella in Italian, is a classic French sauce and is one of the traditional "mother sauces". It's made by first making a paste of butter and flour, called roux, which thickens the milk into a smooth and velvety cream.
It can then be used in preparations as it is or used as a base for other sauces, such as the Mornay sauce (a cheesy white sauce).
Ingredients
It couldn't be more simple than this. 3 main ingredients, plus seasonings.
- Butter. Melted butter is used as a base for the roux, the paste that thickens milk into béchamel. I use unsalted European butter. You can experiment with another grease, such as ghee, margarine, or oil. The final consistency should be pretty similar although the taste of béchamel can be significantly different.
- Flour. Flour is a common thickener, used in many preparations. I use all-purpose flour but it can be substituted with other refined flour or starches such as cornstarch.
- Milk. Milk is the main star of béchamel as it is the ingredient with the most significant quantity. You can use either whole milk or 2%, or even plant-based milk. The final consistency and result would be pretty much the same, although the taste can be significantly different.
- Seasonings. The main seasoning is, of course, salt. But in many preparations, especially in Italian dishes, it's also added some black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
It takes just a few minutes to make a perfect béchamel, with just one pan.
In a pan or saucepan, completely melt the butter and add the flour before the butter starts to bubble.
Turn down the heat to avoid burning the butter and mix the two ingredients into a paste.
Add the room-temperature milk and keep mixing with a wooden spoon or a whisk to avoid as many clumps as possible.
Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, until you get the consistency you want. When the sauce coats a spoon, it's ready.
Make the béchamel as thin or thick as you may need for your preparation. In case you need more liquid to finish baking the pasta, leave the béchamel thinner. Otherwise, simmer for a longer period to make the sauce thicker.
Variations
The classic Béchamel is made only one way, but there are many modern variations adapted to different diets and tastes.
- Dairy-Free and Vegan: You can use plant-based butter and plant-based milk of choice to make a dairy-free and vegan béchamel. Use mild-flavored milk to get a similar result.
- Gluten-Free: You can use gluten-free flour, corn, or potato starch to make a gluten-free white sauce.
- Cheesy. Also called sauce Mornay with the addition of a mix of cheese like Gruyere, Emmental, Cheddar, or Parmigiano. A similar version is also used to make the American Mac&Cheese or the Italian 4 Cheese Pasta Sauce.
- Enriched. Add purèed onions to make a Soubise Sauce, or add Dijon mustard, or tarragon to make a flavorful sauce to accompany meat or fish.
Recipes with Béchamel
These are the top recipes that use Béchamel as the main ingredient.
More recipes with Béchamel sauce:
- White Lasagna with Mushrooms and Zucchini
- Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna
- Artichoke and Mozzarella Lasagna
- Mushroom and Ham Stuffed Shells
- Caramelized Onion Pasta Bake
- Mushroom Zucchini Pesto Pasta Bake
- Beef Ragù Cannelloni
Other recipes without Pasta:
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Fennel Gratin
- Spinach Sformato
- Croque Monsieur
- Mushroom Crepe Bake
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Spanish Ham Croquettes
- Greek Moussaka
Storage
You can store Béchamel in a closed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If it becomes too dense, add some milk before using it and whisk well. You do not need to reheat it before using it as an ingredient in a recipe, but it will be easier to work with if it's brought to room temperature.
FAQ & Tips
Yes, you can make the white sauce up to 4 days in advance and store it in a closed container in the fridge. Before use, thin it with some milk if it became too dense.
Béchamel can be used in a big variety of dishes, from baked pasta to vegetable gratins, see the post above for a list of recipes and ideas.
Yes, it's exactly the same. Béchamel is the original French name, Besciamella is the Italian translation, and white sauce it's what it's commonly called in the US.
You can use any type of milk to make Béchamel. Since the thickening is caused by the butter and flour, it doesn't really matter how fat is the milk. It may, of course, impact the taste slightly, but feel free to use whichever milk you prefer.
Top tip
Most recipes tell you to warm the milk in a separate pot. This is though not necessary. You can use room temperature or cold milk and still get a smooth sauce without clumps. The critical step is to whisk well, as soon as you pour the milk until it thickens.
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📖 RECIPE
Ingredients
Method
- In a saucepan, melt the butter at low heat. When fully melted, add the flour and mix with a spoon or a whisk to make a thick paste.
- Immediately add the milk and whisk energetically. Turn the heat to medium and bring the milk to a simmer while keep whisking.
- When the milk starts to thicken and simmer, turn down the heat and keep whisking gently to make sure there aren't any lumps.
- Once the sauce reaches the desidered thickness, turn off the heat and season with salt, a pinch of grated nutmeg and some black pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Notes
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