Food & Cooking Recipes Healthy Recipes Vegetarian Recipes Béchamel Sauce for Lasagna 4.8 (6) 6 Reviews Making this classic sauce is a cinch when you follow our easy recipe. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 2, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Yield: 3 cups Jump to recipe One of the mother sauces of French cuisine, béchamel sauce is a true classic. This basic white sauce is made with milk, butter, and flour. It's the basis of other sauces and is used in many recipes, from gratins to macaroni and cheese and even lasagna Bolognese. The creamy sauce holds the layers of pasta together and provides a rich counterpoint to the acidity of the tomatoes. While béchamel sauce is simple to make, it's not always straightforward. Any cook who has made a lumpy béchamel knows the pain of seeing the sauce turn clumpy. The secret to success is to cook the roux long enough to avoid a floury taste, using medium-low heat, and being careful not to let it brown. Another tip: whisking constantly while adding flour, then milk, prevents lumps from forming. Follow our recipe for a silky, lump-free sauce. Five Famed French Sauces Every Home Cook Should Learn How to Make Kelsey Hansen What Is Béchamel Sauce? A classic French sauce, a béchamel is made with flour, butter, and milk. It is used in many dishes from lasagna to potato gratins and casseroles to croque monsieur. The butter and flour are cooked together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to form a thick paste (the roux) before milk is added. A béchamel uses a white roux, one that has been cooked very quickly to maintain its light color and subtle, nutty flavors. Milk is slowly whisked into the roux and cooked until it takes on a creamy consistency, thickening to the texture required. (Some recipes call for a thick sauce, whereas for use in lasagna, the béchamel needs to have a pourable consistency.) The sauce is then seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. What Is a Roux? A roux is a combination of flour and fat that is cooked together and used as a base to thicken and flavor sauces. The method for making a roux uses roughly equal parts oil or butter or another fat to flour. The roux is whisked constantly as it cooks until it reaches an optimal shade of color. Depending on the recipe, that color can range from white to dark brown. The finished base can be used to thicken sauces, gravies, soup, gumbo, and other dishes. Nutmeg in Béchamel It’s worth mentioning the use of nutmeg in béchamel sauce because you might not notice it. This spice—that you might be familiar with from eggnog or holiday cookies—is a subtle but necessary addition. It brings warmth, spice, and complexity to the blank canvas that is white sauce. How to Avoid Lumps in a Béchamel Sauce A lumpy sauce is the last thing you want; follow these simple steps to prevent the sauce from clumping: Use warm, not cold, milk (that’s why our recipe calls for heating the milk).Add the milk to your roux in increments; this gives the roux a chance to accept the liquid evenly. If you add the milk all at once, the roux will seize and create lumps that are difficult to remove. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 7 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 ½ cups milk, heated just until steaming Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg ½ teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground pepper Directions Kelsey Hansen Melt butter: Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Kelsey Hansen Add flour and cook roux: Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes; do not let roux brown. Kelsey Hansen Whisk in small amount of hot milk: Whisking constantly, add about 2 tablespoons hot milk to saucepan. Kelsey Hansen Add more milk, whisking constantly: Pour half of the remaining hot milk into the saucepan in small increments, whisking the mixture constantly, until a smooth paste forms. Kelsey Hansen Whisk in remaining milk, nutmeg, and salt: Whisk remaining milk into pan; add nutmeg and salt. Kelsey Hansen Kelsey Hansen Cook, stirring: Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape bottom and sides, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes; if any lumps form, stir sauce rapidly with a whisk. Kelsey Hansen Season and let stand to cool: Season with pepper; remove from heat. Let sauce stand until lukewarm, about 30 minutes, before assembling lasagna. Kelsey Hansen Making Béchamel Sauce Ahead This béchamel sauce is best used fresh, but it can be made one day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water before using. Frequently Asked Questions Why is béchamel used in lasagna? Bechamel is used in some lasagna. Lasagna that does not include béchamel generally has a layer of ricotta mixed with eggs. Using ricotta is easier than making a béchamel sauce, but like legions of other cooks, we think béchamel produces a more delicious lasagna. The rich, creamy sauce balances the acidity from the tomatoes and is better at keeping the layers of pasta together than ricotta. Does traditional lasagna have béchamel or ricotta? Traditional lasagna can have béchamel or ricotta—it depends on who you ask (and where they are from). It appears that béchamel sauce was used in northern Italy, and ricotta in the South. In the U.S., versions that use ricotta are preeminent, and lasagna with béchamel sauce is less well known. Should you use hot or cold milk for béchamel? Hot milk should be used for making béchamel sauce. Adding cold milk to the roux is likely to result in a lumpy sauce. It is much easier to warm milk in a separate pan than it is to get rid of lumps in the sauce after you used cold milk. 5 Recipes That Use Béchamel: Creamed Spinach Chicken Crepes Macaroni and Cheese Asparagus and Potato Gratin Smoky Brussels Sprouts Gratin Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, January 2004 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.