Name: Italian Asparagus Béchamel Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes (70g); 9 tablespoons 00 (or all-purpose flour) (70g); 3 3/4 cups milk (875g); 5 ounces tender fresh asparagus, blanched (140g); 3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt, or to taste (3-3.5g); whole nutmeg freshly grated, to taste

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If you love béchamel and are looking for an inspired take on this classic Italian white sauce, this is the recipe to make. Not only does this sauce turn a beautiful spring green color, but it also tastes great and has a little more nutrient bang for the buck. This sauce is easy and can be made ahead of time (you can even freeze it) and makes the perfect creamy layer for a twist on everyone's favorite Lasagna Bolognese. I created this creamy green béchamel sauce to layer into this Spring lasagna and I have to say, it was a total hit. We all loved it and we're betting you will too. For anyone new to making béchamel, I've included step-by-step recipe photos and instructions at the end of the post.

italian green asparagus spears closeup — these asparagus were special and even the thick stalks were tender all the way down to the very ends

You can see bits of asparagus in the béchamel - If you prefer a totally smooth sauce, use a Vitamix to blend the asparagus in with the milk. For this recipe, it's not necessary for the sauce to be super smooth since it's baked in with other layers.

Can I Make This Asparagus-Béchamel Vegan vs Just Vegetarian?

The short answer -- Yes, you can. This Asparagus-Béchamel is delicious. It's also pretty and perfect for spring and infusing asparagus into the traditional "white sauce" for maximum flavor and extra nutrition was a no-brainer. And if you want to make this a vegan béchamel just substitute the milk and butter with grapeseed oil and oat milk, or your favorite non-animal fat and non-dairy substitutes. If you make it tag us on Insta -- @bitingathebits -- we love seeing your creations❤️.

milk and blanched asparagus mixture in the bowl of a food processor in the sunlight looking beautifully spring green

pouring spring green milk and blanched asparagus mixture into the remaining milk being heated on the stove

my hand with red painted thumbnail holding green asparagus with tops that look like tree tops — superhero looking asparagus

ancient wall with yellow, orange and pink trumpet flower vines sprawling over it — near a museum, Italy

multi-storied building in NYC with an art installation of a school kid with shorts on that are made from a pattern of different flags of the world, a green blouse with pocket and hands at his/her side spanning the height of the entire building — elementary school in Chelsea, NYC

garden path with rose vines leading up the side of the building with red roses all over, cypress trees in background and beautiful blue skies in the background — out on a walk, Italy

Asparagus-Béchamel Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes (70g)
9 tablespoons 00 (or all-purpose flour) (70g)
3 ¾ cups milk (875g)
5 ounces tender fresh asparagus, blanched (140g)
¾ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt, or to taste (3-3.5g)
whole nutmeg freshly grated, to taste *not pre-ground nutmeg

fresh asparagus curved at the tops on a silver platter on top of the stove

asparagus bechamel in a ladle being held by a hand with red fingernail polish over the pot of bechamel

How to Make Asparagus-Béchamel Sauce

Blanch the asparagus + purée it. Wash and trim the asparagus leaving only the tender part and discard any tough pieces. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add 5 ounces (140g) of asparagus to the water and blanch for approximately 1-2 minutes until asparagus has turned bright green. Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water, and drop them straight into the bowl of a food processor, or blender with about ½ cup of the milk. Process until you have a fairly smooth consistency and add the purée to a pot with the remaining milk. Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg to taste.
Heat the asparagus-milk mixture. Heat the asparagus-milk mixture over medium heat until nice and hot without ever boiling it. Turn off the heat while you make the roux.
Prepare the roux + make the béchamel sauce. In a medium-sized pot add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour a little at a time whisking constantly to remove any flour lumps. Continue whisking and stirring until the flour is cooked and the roux is lightly golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). When the roux is golden brown, turn the heat down to low add one ladle full of the asparagus-milk mixture, and whisk vigorously. Continue adding the asparagus milk mixture one ladle at a time until it's all added. Continue whisking constantly until the béchamel is smooth and lump-free. At this point, the béchamel will be smooth, but somewhat runny. Continue cooking and whisking a few minutes longer until the béchamel starts to thicken and create ribbons when dropped from a spoon. When the béchamel is ready it will coat the back of a spoon. Season with more salt and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. Use immediately, or cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper making sure it is in direct contact with the béchamel to prevent it from forming a "skin". Enjoy using this béchamel in this Italian pasticcio (lasagna), or substitute for classic béchamel or white sauce in dishes like Lasagna Bolognese, etc.

Speck and Asparagus lasagna just out of the oven

perfectly golden brown purple cauliflower steaks covered with toasty sesame seeds

basil parm panko crusted chicken cooked to golden brown stacked on a platter with a view out of the window

a freshly baked, crispy gooey cheesy lasagna with beautifully placed spears of asparagus on top curving out from the center going left and right

white asparagus cooking in a cast iron skillet with bits of crispy ham sprinkled on top

Ways to use this Asparagus-Béchamel Sauce (above)

Layered into Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel + Zucchini Crema)
Drizzled over Purple Cauliflower Sesame "Steaks"
Layered into Lasagna Bolognese
layered into Asparagus & Prosciutto Cotto Lasagna
Drizzled over White Asparagus w/Crispy Ham
A dipping sauce for crispy Basil Parmesan Panko-Crusted Chicken Breast

secret garden path with manicured hedges to the left and right and roses growing up the wall and cypress trees in the background — Italian garden

the cutest black bunny rabbit standing on its hind legs like a prairie dog in a green field — Mr. Black Bunny standing on hind legs

closeup of ancient wall with yellow, orange and pink trumpet flower vines sprawling over it — blooming trumpet flowers

Asparagus Béchamel tips + tricks + FAQ's

Why use a scale versus measuring cups and spoons? For best results when measuring ingredients, use a scale as opposed to measuring cups which yields more consistent results and is usually easier and less messy to pull together.
What is béchamel sauce? Béchamel sauce is typically made using a 1:1 ratio of butter to flour to create the roux. Then hot milk is added while it's whisked and cooked to the desired thickness. It's seasoned with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and sometimes black pepper. In the United States, béchamel is often just called "white sauce". Sometimes the milk will be infused with herbs or other seasonings to impart a particular flavor to the final sauce.
Where does béchamel come from? Béchamel or Besciamella is thought to have originated in Italy and was brought to the French courts in 1533 and so loved by royalty that it was adopted as one of the French Mother sauces which is probably why so many people often assume the dish originated in France.
Where does the name béchamel come from? The name is thought to come from "balsamo" which was the flour and water face masks that the Florentine women of the time used for beauty treatments. That's a pretty old beauty trick.
Can you freeze béchamel sauce? Yes, you can freeze béchamel sauce. Just be sure to cover it completely with plastic wrap to prevent a "skin" from forming on the top. Then seal it in an airtight container and freeze it until you need to use it. Thaw in the fridge overnight and whisk a little additional milk into it as you heat it if the mixture seems too thick.
How do I know if béchamel is cooked? Béchamel is cooked perfectly when the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Meaning, that when you dip a spoon into the sauce and wipe a finger through the middle of the back of the spoon (and the sauce doesn't fill back in the stripe or drip and run), your béchamel is ready.
How do I make sure béchamel is good? Use good butter, fresh milk, and always cook your flour and butter mixture (aka the roux) for several minutes in order to make sure the flour cooks and the butter gets lightly toasted and nutty. Salt it properly and season with whole, grated nutmeg. Also, whisk the sauce vigorously to ensure a smooth sauce free from pockets or lumps of flour. If you want to add even more flavor to a béchamel sauce, infuse the milk first with fresh or dried herbs, onions, shallots, etc.
What is Mornay Sauce? Mornay sauce is one of the 5 French Mother Sauces and is essentially a béchamel sauce with the addition of egg and grated cheese (usually Gruyere).

Let's get started!

📖 Recipe

Italian Asparagus Béchamel Sauce

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Author: biting at the bits
Total Time: 22 minutes
Yield: 4 ½ cups - or enough for one lasagna
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

The Real Green Goddess

If you're new to béchamel sauce or just looking for a little inspiration for something new to do with your leftover asparagus (that's slowly dying in the bottom of your fridge), make this tasty green béchamel for dinner tonight (or freeze it to make that lasagna you've been wanting to try this weekend)!

Ingredients

Units

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes (70g)
9 tablespoons 00 (or all-purpose flour) (70g)
3 ¾ cups milk (875g)
5 ounces tender fresh asparagus, blanched (140g)
¾ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt, or to taste (3-3.5g)
whole nutmeg freshly grated, to taste

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Instructions

Blanch the asparagus + purée it. Wash and trim the asparagus leaving only the tender part and discard any tough pieces. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add 5 ounces (140g) of asparagus to the water and blanch for approximately 1-2 minutes until asparagus has turned bright green. Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water, and drop them straight into the bowl of a food processor, or blender with about ½ cup of the milk. Process until you have a fairly smooth consistency and add the purée to a pot with the remaining milk. Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg to taste.
Heat the asparagus-milk mixture. Heat the asparagus-milk mixture over medium heat until nice and hot without ever boiling it. Turn off the heat while you make the roux.
Prepare the roux + make the béchamel sauce. In a medium-sized pot add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour a little at a time whisking constantly to remove any flour lumps. Continue whisking and stirring until the flour is cooked and the roux is lightly golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). When the roux is golden brown, turn the heat down to low add one ladle full of the asparagus-milk mixture, and whisk vigorously. Continue adding the asparagus milk mixture one ladle at a time until it's all added. Continue whisking constantly until the béchamel is smooth and lump-free. At this point, the béchamel will be smooth, but somewhat runny. Continue cooking and whisking a few minutes longer until the béchamel starts to thicken and create ribbons when dropped from a spoon. When the béchamel is ready it will coat the back of a spoon. Season with more salt and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. Use immediately, or cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper making sure it is in direct contact with the béchamel to prevent it from forming a "skin". Enjoy using this béchamel in this Italian pasticcio (lasagna), or substitute for classic béchamel or white sauce in dishes like Lasagna Bolognese, etc.

Notes

If you want this béchamel sauce to be completely smooth without tiny bits of asparagus, use a Vitamix to ensure it's as smooth as glass. I don't mind the small bits of asparagus and see no reason to break out the Vitamix, but feel free to do so.
If you need to see a photo of what "coating the back of a spoon" looks like, see the step-by-step recipe photos in the main post.
Save vegetable end pieces and peels for making stock. I always save my discarded vegetable peels and ends in the freezer and use them to make vegetable and meat stocks weekly. There's no point in throwing these parts out when they can be used to make something nutritious and delicious.
You may freeze the béchamel for later use, just be sure to place a piece of wax paper, parchment, or plastic wrap in direct contact with the sauce to prevent a "skin" from forming and to avoid ice crystals.
If you cook the béchamel too long and it becomes too thick, add warmed milk to it a little at a time until you've reached the desired consistency.
If you want a thicker or thinner béchamel, you control this aspect by how long you cook the béchamel once all the milk has been added. Cook it less for a thinner sauce, and more for a slightly thicker sauce.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Sauces + Spreads + Dips
Method: Stovetop + Food Processor
Cuisine: Italian