The quick béchamel sauce recipe is foolproof and truly delicious. The full and delicately flavorful taste that sets it apart has nothing to do with the ready-made, liquid-looking, and indistinct-tasting preparations.
It is widely used in lasagna, timbales, pastas, or gratin vegetables. The original recipe calls for the preparation of the roux, which is melted butter and flour cooked together, to which the other ingredients are gradually added.
However, today I propose my quick version without roux, which allows me to obtain a tasty and velvety béchamel sauce while minimizing the risk of lumps, using less butter, and avoiding too many steps.
I’ve always used it and I assure you that it tastes as soft as a cloud and smells of good cheese, a preparation taught to me by my mother and as infallible as all her recipes and kitchen intuitions.
With a few ingredients and following my few instructions, you will get a delicious béchamel sauce that will add something extra to your dishes.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 118.01 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.98 (g) of which sugars 3.17 (g)
- Proteins 5.62 (g)
- Fat 7.49 (g) of which saturated 4.91 (g)of which unsaturated 2.56 (g)
- Fibers 0.17 (g)
- Sodium 108.68 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 76 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (can be replaced with the same amount of broth)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp semolina flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 2.5 oz Grana Padano DOP (grated)
- to taste nutmeg (optional)
Preparation
Put the flour in a saucepan and gradually add the milk, mixing well with a wooden spoon.
Then add the butter in pieces and a pinch of salt.
Transfer the saucepan to the stove over medium heat and stir continuously as the sauce thickens.
When it begins to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat, add the grated Grana and let it melt while stirring.
Flavor with a sprinkle of nutmeg if desired.The sauce can be used either while still hot or when cold.
In the latter case, if you need it for oven preparations, there’s no need to cover it with plastic wrap because, even if a thicker surface layer forms, it will soften again evenly with heat.
I just cover it with a small plate.
However, if you prefer, you can cover it with contact wrap like you do with pastry cream and transfer it to the fridge until it’s used.
You can use the béchamel by spooning it wherever you need it.
Even when cold, there’s no need to whisk it before using it.
Here is the quick and simple béchamel sauce recipe.
Storage
Stored well in the fridge, it lasts for two to three days at most. If frozen, don’t exceed a month.
Stored well in the fridge, it lasts for two to three days at most. If frozen, don’t exceed a month.
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