What is "white sauce"?

White sauce, also known as béchamel sauce, is a creamy and versatile sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. It is one of the fundamental sauces in French cuisine and serves as a base for many other sauces and dishes. To make white sauce, butter and flour are cooked together to form a thick paste, called a roux, which is then whisked with milk until smooth and creamy. White sauce has a rich, velvety texture and a subtle buttery flavor, making it an excellent complement to pasta, vegetables, meats, and seafood. It is often used as a base for creamy pasta dishes, gratins, lasagnas, and casseroles, or served as a sauce over steamed vegetables or poached fish.