One of the most famous sauces in the world was created, in the seventeenth century, by the French Louis de Bechamel. François Pierre de la Varenne, a cook of King Louis XIV, quoted Louis de Bechamel’s recipe for the first time in the cookbook Le cousinier françois (“The french cook”) and it has been one of the Mother Sauces since.
My béchamel sauce, with rice milk and flour, is a triumph of lightness and flavor. In this recipe, I used gluten-free tagliatelle (from the Italian “tagliare”, meaning “to cut”). Feel free to replace tagliatelle with spaghetti, lasagna or rigatoni. 
Tagliatelle Timbale with Rice Béchamel
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Create a hearty pasta timbale with a béchamel that can be tweaked to be dairy free, if needed.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the béchamel sauce
- 50 g (1 3/4 oz) rice flour
- 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) rice milk
- salt to taste
- the tip of a tsp of Nutmeg
- 50 g (1 3/4 oz) butter
- 3 tbsp Parmigiano cheese
For the timbale
- 500 g (1Ib/ 12 oz) Gluten-free tagliatelle
- salt to taste
- 700 g (1 Ib/9 oz) tomato sauce
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
Instructions
- For the béchamel sauce: mix the rice flour with 50 ml (1 1/2 fl oz) of rice milk cold. Combine the milk and put the rest on the stove, stirring until the cream reaches the desired consistency. Once off the heat, add nutmeg, butter and Parmigiano cheese. Putting aside the béchamel sauce and cook the pasta al dente, following the instructions of the pack.
- Meanwhile, put on fire even the tomato sauce, add salt to taste, and let cook until the sauce has thickened. Mix tomato sauce with tagliatelle and two tbsp of béchamel.
- If you want to create portions: oil the molds and fill them with a sprinkling of Parmigiano. Add the tagliatelle, already seasoned, and cover with a sprinkling of Parmigiano.
- If you prefer to pour the mixture into a baking pan: oil a baking dish and add the Parmigiamo, spread a layer of tomato sauce. Put a first layer of tagliatelle and cover with the béchamel sauce, you set aside earlier. Do the same with the second and final layer of tagliatelle.
- Bake in a preheated oven, at 180° C (350° F / gas 4) for 20-25 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 430
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this béchamel use rice flour and rice milk instead of wheat flour and whole milk?
The article says the recipe was designed to be gluten-free, using 50 g of rice flour and 500 ml of rice milk in place of the traditional wheat-flour-and-whole-milk base. The result is what the author calls “a triumph of lightness and flavor.” The recipe already calls for gluten-free tagliatelle, making the whole timbale suitable for gluten-sensitive diners.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Yes — the article specifically says you can replace the gluten-free tagliatelle with spaghetti, lasagna, or rigatoni, so any shape that holds a thick sauce well will work.
What is the difference between making individual portions versus baking in a pan?
For individual portions, the instructions say to oil small molds, dust with Parmigiano, fill with the dressed tagliatelle, and finish with more cheese. For a family-style dish, layer tomato sauce, pasta, and béchamel in two passes in a baking dish. Both methods bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes.
