At the heart of many rich, irresistible pasta dishes, you will find a basic white sauce. This mild, creamy sauce provides the perfect backdrop for almost any kind of seasoning. It's mellow enough to support subtle ingredients without masking their taste, but it also makes a fantastic foundation for bold and zesty ingredients.
White sauce is easy to make, but it's also easy to ruin.
Some of the most common complaints about white sauce are that it can be lumpy, grainy, or floury in taste, or it can scald and turn brown. With a quick lesson in the basics, though, you'll be able to whip up velvety, worry-free white sauce every time. Measure out equal amounts, by weight, of butter and flour. Slice or dice the butter into small pieces and melt it over low heat in a non-aluminum saucepan. It's important to avoid aluminum, because it tends to turn light-colored sauces an unappetizing gray hue.