Basic Besciamella Sauce

"Besciamella" is one of the basic building blocks of many baked Italian dishes. It's used in lasagna, pasta al forno, baked shell pasta, and more! A besciamella sauce provides a creamy texture to dishes without dulling and hiding flavors as heavy cream is wont to do.

For this recipe, you will need:

- 3 tbsp (40g) unsalted butter

- 1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour

- 2 1/8 cup (500ml) whole milk

- Salt

- Fresh black pepper

- Ground nutmeg

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium/low heat. When it is completely melted, whisk in the flour.

When the flour is mixed in, gradually add the milk while stirring. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens into a gravy-like consistency. You can also adjust the thickness according to your taste by either cooking the sauce less (thinner) or more (thicker).

Season the besciamella with salt, black pepper and nutmeg to taste. The sauce will last about 2 days in the fridge, covered.