The perfect white sauce please!!

[Indie Journo]

Can someone please give me the recipe for the perfect white sauce, I mean for pasta and stuff? And when I say perfect, I also mean ridiculously simple! Please guys, you're dealing with a dummy here, no more than 4 to 5 ingredients please!!

[Titanium]

Okay, the perfect white sauce (or Bechamel) that I always use for pretty much anything is as follows:

~2 tbsp butter
~2 tbsp white flour
~1 cup milk

The only hard part is that you have to mix it together gradually. First, melt the butter over low heat in a smaller sauce pan. Then add the flour and a little bit of the milk. Use a whisk to mix it. Once it becomes thick (almost like syrup) add some more milk and whisk it until it becomes heavy again. Do this untill all of the milk has been used.

[The Animal Farm]

The only thing I might add is try using Wondra flour instead of regular flour. It is sifted super-fine and very easy to blend. It comes in a canister like Parmesan cheese would, in the baking aisle.

[Chinmama]

Okay, the perfect white sauce (or Bechamel) that I always use for pretty much anything is as follows:

~2 tbsp butter
~2 tbsp white flour
~1 cup milk

The only hard part is that you have to mix it together gradually. First, melt the butter over low heat in a smaller sauce pan. Then add the flour and a little bit of the milk. Use a whisk to mix it. Once it becomes thick (almost like syrup) add some more milk and whisk it until it becomes heavy again. Do this untill all of the milk has been used.

I agree with the amounts, but can never get them to combine that way. In a separate pan, bring the milk to a boil (just as you start to see bubbles take it off the heat...do not let the milk scorch!) I melt the butter. Stir in the flour and stir for a minute or so. Add the hot milk to the butter/flour mixture and stir until combined.

It is also good if serving over pasta to add either 1/2 cup of cream or 1/4 cup grated cheese. :slurp:

[DreamerTheresa]

I throw some white wine in there, too.

[HedgeMom]

If you rub your flour and butter together when it's cold, you can bring your milk (or half and half YUM) to simmer, then drop in small bits of the butter/flour mixture and it won't be lumpy.

Another thing is you can use cornstarch instead of flour. Don't forget the salt and white pepper.

[Karin]

oooohhhh yummyyyyyyyy.. i use the standard recipe first mentioned.. and use it for alot of different things.. love me some sweet peas n sauce, broccoli and califlower with white sauce, and even add some cheese to it for a reallyyyyyyyyy good flavor..:winkgrin:

[Indie Journo]

Thanx a lot guys.. It seemed like a lot of information for someone like me but then I saw that the base for most recipes is almost the same.. Dustys Mom did get me a li'l confused but then I peered harder and saw that those extras are just acccompaniments that the sauce can be served with.. Hoping for some more replies anyway, am new to this and love that everybody's so affectionately responsive!!

[Karin]

sorry, didnt mean to confuse you there...
you said pasta, and i'm maybe thinking you're wanting more of like an alfredo type white sauce??? :dunno: anything bout pouring my sauce over pasta, so thats why i added the peas and veggies in my post.. lol
of course, i'm sure you can use it on pasta just fine..
you're wanting more replies? i dont know how many more recipes you'll gain... there's only a few ingredients you can add to the above to switch it around..

[Toad]

3/4 cup heavy cream (let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes)
1 tablespoon of butter
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I find fresh grated melts better)
salt and pepper to taste

cook your pasta and drain, add all ingrediants at once to your pasta and stir. Very Yummy! Got this recipe out of a 1965 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It is one of my favorites and is so simple to make.