Besciamella Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• To make the meat ragu: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the ground beef, sausage, salt, basil, Italian seasoning, oregano and pepper to taste and increase the heat to high. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Add the tomatoes. Pour some of the wine into the empty tomato boxes to rinse out the last bits of tomatoes and add to the pot, along with the remaining wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together, about 1 hour. Add a healthy amount of black pepper.
• To make the besciamella: Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour to the butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and then loosens again, about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, whisking almost constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and use immediately.
• To make the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread an even layer of the meat ragu over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce lengthwise across the short side of the pan. Avoid overlapping or allowing them to touch the sides of the pan because they will expand as they cook. Press down slightly to let the sauce spread around them. Cover with one-quarter of the besciamella and sprinkle with one-third of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add another layer of ragu. Add 3 more noodles, arranging them in the opposite direction from the first layer and breaking 1 of the noodles in half if necessary to fit. Add one-quarter of the besciamella and half of the mozzarella. Make a third layer of ragu, noodles (alternating directions again), besciamella and one-third of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add another layer of ragu, then the remaining mozzarella, noodles (alternating the noodles again), besciamella and ragu.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake until heated through, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes more. During the last 10 minutes of baking, scatter the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano all over. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown - about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.
• Cheese Sauce.
• Stir in 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• How hot should the milk be?
• Warm the milk on low heat just until little bubbles begin to form at the edges. Then remove from heat.

Steps:

• In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.
• Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Do not allow the bechamel sauce to boil.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch each of white pepper and nutmeg.
• Season the sauce with more salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
• The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.

Steps:

• Heat butter in a medium saucepan until melted.
• Add flour, stirring until smooth.
• Cook gently over medium heat until light golden brown, 6-7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until almost boiling.
• Add milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth.
• If lumps begin to form, you need to adjust the heat up a bit higher.
• Bring to a boil, and cook for 30 seconds, continuing to stir.
• Remove from the heat and season with salt and nutmeg.
• Note: After I had brought it to a boil and let it cook for 30 seconds, it was still too liquidy.
• I continued to cook it over high heat, stirring constantly, until it thickened down, and began to coat the back of the spoon.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over med-low heat. Do not let the butter brown.
• Whisk in the flour, and cook it until a uniform paste is formed, and no streaks of flour remain.
• Slowly whisk in the milk in a steady stream.
• Cook about 10 minutes, stirring slowly until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste.
• Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and nutmeg.

Steps:

• Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste.
• Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Steps:

• Scald the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Keep it warm over very low heat.
• Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. When it's bubbling, add the flour and whisk until it forms a golden paste, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, add the hot milk in a steady stream. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk in the nutmeg and the cheese, and serve at once

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and whisk until smooth. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along the bottom of pan, until boiling, about 7 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a very small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the milk on low heat making sure that it doesn't boil.
• In another small saucepan melt the butter. (Be carefull: do not let it brown.).
• Slowly add the sifted flour, stirring with a whisk. Cook it for a few minutes, stirring constantly, always being carefull don't let it brown or crispy.
• That's the "roux", as the French call it.
• Now remove it from the heat, slowly add the hot milk, stirring with a wooden spoon.
• Put the saucepan on medium heat, until it boils, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg. Then simmer for 15 minutes while covered, or until the sauce doesn't look thick, stirring from time to time.
• Your Bechamel Sauce is ready!

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook for 1½-2 minutes, stirring con- stantly with a wooden spoon to prevent it from taking on any color whatsoever. Gradually add the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Increase the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring con- stantly with a wooden spoon, until it has the consistency of very thick cream, 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Stir in the cheese, if using, and season with nutmeg and salt to taste. Strain the sauce through a sieve if it is lumpy. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the besciamella to keep it warm until ready to use and to prevent a skin from forming.