Until a few years ago, béchamel was abundant in many recipes. Appetizers, first and second rich and tasty dishes seemed not to be able to do without that delicate and creamy touch capable of transforming the simplest of baked pastas into a masterpiece. But over time this ingredient has been seen more and more as that oneextra of which we could even do without. But are we really sure?
Here below a collection of recipes that need béchamel to be cooked to perfection. So, if you are preparing them without, be ready to rediscover how good they are by re-inserting one of the basic ingredients.

The recipes that require bechamel

Pies
Of vegetables, meat, pasta, rice. We like them because they combine many ingredients and bring taste and joy to the table. Perfect also to recycle the leftovers from the day before, they require a creamy note that can mix all the elements and give softness when baked.

Vegetables au gratin
These recipes are a great way to appreciate cauliflowers, broccoli, fennel, sprouts and many other vegetables to those who turn up their noses in front of these boiled or steamed dishes. But the formula often used with grated cheese and breadcrumbs is not as tasty as the classic recipe. To make this dish unforgettable, a veil of béchamel is enough to distribute evenly over all the vegetables.

soufflé
Soft, soft and rich. This appetizer conquers all with its tasty notes and a greedy and airy consistency. But because it is good, it must be prepared as expected from the classic recipe. So always use it in the mixture of ingredients that you will be going to bake without trying to replace it with plant or milk.

lasagna
Some people put sliced ​​cheese, some vegetable condiments, some nothing. The result? The lasagna is dry. The bechamel, which is a very important ingredient in baking, helps pasta and sauce not to dry and it is therefore important to put it between one layer and another and at the end, as suggested by the original recipe.

Crepes and cannelloni
In the same way as lasagna, even crepes and canelloni need to remain soft and blend well with the filling. Therefore, even if you insert other cheeses, such as gorgonzola, you will do well to dissolve them in the béchamel and keep it as a base. On the pan and to complete, however, always use it without additions: the recipe will be more delicate.

In the pies
Also in this case the softness and creaminess of the final result make the difference. If the intended ingredient is the cream, it will be sufficient to use it in the indicated doses. When the béchamel appears instead, follow the recipe because it gives more body to the dough that otherwise could be liquid.

On baked pasta
Whether it's red or white, it wants béchamel. For a less messed up result, you can distribute it in tufts taking care not to leave out any part of the pan.

The homemade béchamel sauce: the classic recipe

Although it is ready in all supermarkets, preparing béchamel at home will allow us to use a product without preservatives and prepared with controlled ingredients. The simplicity of the classic recipe, then, will allow us to have the sauce ready in a few minutes: over time, we will develop the ability to obtain the density sought in each recipe, keeping it slightly more liquid to sustain long oven cooking.
To prepare your béchamel, start from the preparation of the ingredients. It will take a liter of milk, 100 grams of butter and 100 grams of flour, a pinch of nutmeg and salt.
Start to melt the butter in a saucepan, preferably copper. Then add the flour and mix it with a wooden spatula. At this point you will have obtained one roux, or a base of butter and flour to which you will combine, always mixing with a whisk, milk. Bring to the boil and, always turning, let it cook for about 7 minutes. Once ready, turn off the heat and salt and flavor with nutmeg.
This sauce is preferably warm and fluid. If you need to wait, keep it in a bain-marie, sprinkled with a little bow of butter and covered.