Lactose-free béchamel, a simple and tasty recipe created to enrich baked pasta or oven-grilled vegetables. I came up with this idea since our family discovered a slight lactose intolerance. It’s true that sometimes it’s easier to buy it ready-made, but it’s also true that a recipe like this absolutely cannot be missing from my cookbook. For this idea, it will simply be enough to use lactose-free ingredients without resorting to special drinks like soy or oat milk, which I find particularly suitable, however, as I will instead use rice milk instead of lactose-free milk. The same goes for butter; for this ingredient, I chose to use the lactose-free version commonly available. My version fundamentally follows all the steps of the original one. Below, I also leave you the more common recipe, while at the bottom of the complete recipe with photographic steps, I leave some answers to the most common questions.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice milk
- 2 tbsp lactose-free butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste fine salt
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Spatula
Steps
To make lactose-free béchamel, first prepare the roux, the mixture that will bind the béchamel from butter and flour. In a sufficiently large non-stick saucepan, melt the butter.
Add the flour and mix very well, using a hand whisk or a silicone spatula.
Once you have a creamy base, set it aside in a bowl.
Heat the chosen milk and add the roux.
Keep stirring over low heat without stopping. It will only take a few minutes, but this step is fundamental for the success of the recipe.
When the béchamel has thickened, lifting the whisk you can leave a light mark. At that moment it will be ready. Turn off the heat and add the nutmeg to taste.
Add the salt only at the end of cooking.
The béchamel is ready. Transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent the formation of that annoying film on the surface. Once cooled to room temperature, keep it in the refrigerator, always covered, for a maximum of 48 hours.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which milk can I use for a good taste?
You can use regular lactose-free milk, or one of soy and oat in addition to the one I recommend, which has a more neutral taste.
