Making Velvety & Creamy Italian White Sauce Pasta Recipe

The White sauce pasta recipe, with its origin deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of Italy and France, has gone beyond geographical boundaries to become a worldwide sensation. No longer confined to its place of origin, this delicious recipe has gained widespread popularity and its appeal has found its way into the kitchens around the globe.

The scrumptious and flavorful white sauce pasta recipe Italian style has gracefully evolved to be more of a fusion, blending the essence of both Italian traditions and diverse culinary influences. Once widely known for its Italian roots, the recipe has now become a cherished favourite beyond the borders of Italy. 

The crux of nailing the entire recipe lies in mastering the art of creating a silky, cheesy, and creamy béchamel sauce, coupled with the precision of boiling the pasta to the perfect al-dente texture. Believe us when we say that once you recreate this masterpiece at home, there will be no turning back to restaurants. 

So, without any further delay, let’s start our journey to Italian streets and introduce your taste buds to the luxurious and creamy texture of an Italian-style white sauce pasta recipe.

Italian White Sauce Pasta Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need before you follow white sauce pasta recipe Italian style – 

• Pasta (Penne, spaghetti, macaroni, fusilli, farfalle, or conchiglie) – 1 cup 
• Refined flour (Maida) or whole wheat flour (Atta) – 2 tablespoon 
• Milk (full fat) – 1 cup 
• Butter – 3 tablespoon 
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon 
• Water to boil 
• Chopped garlic and garlic powder 
• Nutmeg powder
• Salt to taste 
• White or black pepper

Other ingredients to choose according to your taste – 

• Heavy cream – 1 cup 
• Grated parmesan cheese, creamy cheese
• Red chilli flakes or paprika
• Some Italian seasonings like oregano, thyme, basil, parsley or mixed herbs seasoning
• Black olives
• Chopped onion (⅓ cup), red capsicum strips (⅓ cup), green capsicum strips (⅓ cup), and blanched broccoli florets (⅓ cup) (Or any vegetable of your choice)

Step By Step Recipe for Italian White Sauce Pasta 

For you to quickly grasp the process, we’ve broken down the entire recipe into five easy steps. Let’s get started – 

Process of Cooking the Pasta

1. In a pan, boil around 4-5 cups of water. 
2. Add half a teaspoon of salt and oil to it. 
3. Once the water gets to the boil, add your preferred shape of pasta to it. 
4. Cook it for 10-15 minutes until al dente, that is until it becomes tender and firm. Make sure to not overcook the pasta, which otherwise will get too mushy and lose its texture. 
5. You can check its doneness by taking one pasta out of the pan. Try cutting it down using a fork or a spoon. If it cuts easily, then your pasta is perfectly cooked.
6. Strain the pasta in a sieve and reserve some stock for later use.

Prepare the Italian Béchamel Sauce

Here comes the most crucial stage of making white sauce pasta in Italian style – 

1. Heat a pan on a low flame.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to it and wait till it starts to melt.
3. Once the butter is fully melted down, add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to it. You can replace maida with whole wheat flour (atta) to make it more healthier. 
4. Stir the butter-flour mixture continuously until it turns golden brown and loses its raw smell. Also, make sure that no lumps are formed during this process. Do not let it change its colour to dark brown. 
5. Start adding milk to it in batches while stirring it continuously with a whisk or spatula. (Choose to add cold milk to make a lump-free and smooth texture.) 
6. Once you get the desired texture of your choice, check it with the spoon test. If it sticks to the back of the spoon, it is all done to perfection.
7. Add ½ tbs salt, white or black pepper, and nutmeg powder to it to give this sauce an Italian touch.
8. Do not overcook the sauce to the stage where it is too thick to coat the pasta in it. If by chance it gets too thick, add the reserved stock to it to adjust the consistency. 
9. Taste the sauce and adjust salt or spices to your liking. 

Make Pasta Seasoning

The next step to in white sauce pasta recipe Italian style is to prepare the seasoning –

1. Heat a pan on a low flame and add ½ teaspoon butter to it.
2. Next add finely chopped garlic to it until it turns golden brown or you can choose to add garlic powder instead.
3. Add chopped onions to it and cook until translucent.
4. Following that, add capsicums, broccoli, olives, or any preferred vegetable of your choice. Cook for a few minutes.

Toss the Sauce And Pasta

Next comes up the last, but not the least stage of making a white bechamel sauce pasta recipe – 

1. Once you are done with boiled pasta, Italian white bechamel sauce, and tossed vegetables. Mix them all together. 
2. Add parmesan cheese or cream cheese into it for a more creamy texture (if you prefer, it is totally optional).
3. Add oregano or mix herbs seasoning to it. Your pasta is incomplete without Italian herbs.
4. If spiciness is your preference, go on adding red chilli flakes for that extra kick. 
5. Let it cook for a few more minutes.

White Sauce Pasta Recipe Italian Style Ends Here

Once you are done with all the steps. Turn the flame off. And serve the Italian restaurant-style veggie pasta hot and steaming on the table.

Lastly, garnish it with some parsley on top. You can also optionally choose to sprinkle some parmesan on top and a garlic bread along for that top-notch experience.

And we are all done in our white sauce pasta recipe Italian style process.

Additional Tips for Cooking Italian White Sauce Past

We hope you enjoyed cooking white sauce pasta in Italian style. Make sure you follow the extra tips to make the white sauce pasta recipe Italian style perfectly.

1. Strain the pasta immediately after it’s all done. If kept in water for too long, it will absorb water, making it soggy. 
2. Prefer cold milk to hot to prevent forming lumps. 
3. Do not let the sauce turn too thick. 
4. For a more healthier twist and to boost up the protein content, consider replacing vegetables with boiled chicken cubes, grilled chicken, crumbled Italian sausage or shredded chicken to the sauce. 
5. If you want to add prawns or shrimp to it, make sure to give them a toss before you add them to the white sauce. 
6. Instead of adding cheese, you can opt for mayonnaise for that extra creaminess. Another replacement for mayonnaise is fresh cream. 
7. You can choose to add low-fat or skimmed milk instead of full-fat milk. 
8. If you want to make it more healthier, many whole wheat pasta or semolina pasta options are available.

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