Béchamel Sauce for Lasagna

Delicious creamy béchamel sauce recipe to smother layers of pasta for the best lasagna you’ve ever had! Made with just 6 basic ingredients, this traditional white sauce is a must-have in your cookbook!

The best lasagna recipe won’t be the best without this bechamel. I’ve been cooking for a long time, but I love to come back to basics. Just butter, flour, and milk make a cup of one of the most delicious sauces in the world, and you can make it at home!

My best tip for making béchamel sauce is to use equal parts butter and flour for the flavors, but to avoid lumps, you should make sure to use milk just warm enough to melt the cheese perfectly.

Next time, you are craving lasagna, try this great recipe for Ravioli lasagna, my one-pot lasagna soup, or quick skillet lasagna I often make for weeknight dinner.

What Is Bechamel Sauce?

Béchamel sauce, often referred to as a classic white sauce, is one of the five “mother sauces” in French cuisine (alongside Velouté, Espagnole, Sauce Tomate, and Hollandaise).

It’s a simple yet versatile creamy sauce made from just a few basic ingredients: milk, butter, and flour. If you’re cooking for the first time, think of béchamel as a smooth, creamy base that can be used in many dishes, including, of course, classic lasagna.

It is today a staple in both French and Italian recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It is the sauce that brings the whole lasagna together. The best lasagna, hands down.
• Easy to customize. It can be creamy or cheese sauce – you can add some cheese and make an amazing, thick sauce.
• It tastes like comfort food and is a delicious recipe for Sunday dinner for the whole family or special occasions.
• In lasagna, bechamel sauce balances out the acidity of tomatoes and the red sauce.
• It is dirt cheap to make this restaurant-level sauce. You will never have to buy any bottled sauces.

Ingredients Notes

• Unsalted butter. You can use salted butter in a pinch, just adjust the salt later.
• All-purpose flour (also called plain flour).
• Whole milk needs to be warmed a bit
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Nutmeg (optional). Use freshly grated nutmeg to add nice nutty flavors and complexity to the flavor profile.
• Basil, for garnish (optional)

To Make A Cheesy Béchamel Sauce:

• Shredded white medium cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, or Mozzarella cheese

Kitchen Equipment

• 2 Saucepans
• Wooden spoon

How To Make Creamy Bechamel Sauce For Lasagna

1: Warm The Milk Up

1. Start by making sure the milk is warm.
2. You can do this by heating it either in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Be sure it is warm, but not scalded. The cheese in this recipe will clump if the milk is too cold.

2: Prepare White Roux

1. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
2. Add flour, stirring continuously, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. The roux with deepen in color and thicken, and will resemble a thick paste.

3: Add Milk

Increase the heat to medium and then add the milk slowly, stirring continuously until smooth and incorporated. Bring the sauce to a boil until it has thickened. This should take 10-15 minutes.

4: Add Seasoning

1. Add salt and pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and any other seasonings you may be using.
2. Serve your pasta of choice, or use the sauce in any other dish you desire.

5: Optional: Make Cheese Bechamel Sauce:

1. Once you have reached the stage of seasoning the sauce, this is the time to also mix in the shredded cheese, stirring occasionally until fully melted.
2. If you will add more cheese when you layer lasagna sheets, you can skip adding cheese to the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Serve bechamel sauce over ravioli, your favorite pasta, or use as a sauce for homemade lasagna (meaty lasagna Bolognese, or vegetarian lasagna).

You can also use this basic sauce for homemade mac and cheese, pizzas, casseroles, chicken pot pie, moussaka, or potatoes au gratin. I even had it with my cheese sandwich.

Bechamel classic sauce always goes well with chicken meat, cheeses, potatoes, and in hearty meals.

How To Make Lasagna With This Bechamel Sauce

1. To make lasagna, let the bechamel sauce rest and cool down for about 30 minutes first.
2. Cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions.
3. Layer lasagna sheets, rich beef ragu, mild or hot Italian sausage ragu, or vegetables as filling, homemade sauce, and cheese. Top with Mozzarella cheese and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave it to rest.
4. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Storage

Allow to cool completely before covering. Stick a layer of plastic wrap to the top of the sauce to keep it from forming a film. Store bechamel sauce leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To reheat, add a little milk to help thin it out and cook over the stovetop on medium-low heat until fully heated through.

You can also freeze bechamel cream sauce until ready to use for up to 1 month. Thaw completely before using.

Substitutions & Variations

• Add more herbs and seasoning: white pepper, bay leaf, cloves,
• Add onion and minced garlic for more aroma and flavor.
• My recipe makes bechamel without ricotta cheese, but some Italian recipes add ricotta or cottage cheese to milk, butter, and flour.

Popular Questions

What Is The Secret To The Perfect Béchamel?

The best way to make a perfect béchamel sauce is to mix the ingredients slowly and carefully, and warm up the milk! It will prevent lumps from forming.

Do Italians Put Béchamel Sauce In Lasagna?

Yes, Italians often use béchamel sauce in lasagna. It helps make the lasagna creamy and balances the flavors. When making lasagna, they can add extra ingredients like ricotta to it, depending on the region.

If you love this cheesy sauce for pasta recipe, you’re going to love these other cheesy recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Sauce Recipes

Smoked Honey

Southern Chocolate Gravy

Big Mac Sauce – Copycat Recipe

Easy Bolognese Recipe

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