Pasta in Béchamel and Parmesan Sauce – Gluten-free version

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Cooked pasta

1. 1
   Cook the gluten-free pasta in plenty of boiling salted water (4¼ cups of water and a heaping teaspoon of salt for every 4 oz of gluten-free pasta), following the package directions (taste about 2 minutes early), until al dente.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStovePot

   💡The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
2. 2
   Reserve cup of the cooking water before draining.

   ⚙ Saving the cooking waterLadleorMeasuring cup

   💡The cooking water is starchy: a spoonful or two binds the sauce to the gluten-free pasta or the gnocchi and makes it glossy.
3. 3
   Drain.

   Colander

For the Béchamel

1. 4
   Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, add the gluten-free flour blend and stir 1–2 minutes, until a smooth roux forms and starts to bubble.

   StovePot
2. 5
   Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, and cook 5–8 minutes, until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

   StoveWhisk

   💡Add the milk slowly, whisking constantly, so no lumps form. For lasagna, the common ratio is about 7 g gluten-free flour blend per 100 ml milk (4 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend to 2 cups): more gluten-free flour blend gives a thick béchamel, for moussaka; less gluten-free flour blend gives a soft béchamel, for a sauce.
3. 6
   Season with salt and Nutmeg.

To assemble

1. 7
   Add the cheese and pepper to the hot sauce and stir until the cheese melts.

   💡Add the cheese to a hot but not boiling sauce: boiling splits the cheese, and the sauce turns grainy and greasy.
2. 8
   Toss the gluten-free pasta in the cheese sauce, adding a little of the cooking water if it's too thick.
3. 9
   Serve immediately, with extra Parmesan on top.