Heat a saucepan. Keep the flame to a low and add 2 tablespoons butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
When the butter melts and starts to bubble, then add 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour..
Using a wired whisk, stir the flour quickly as soon as you add it. Keep on stirring so that no lumps are formed. The frequent stirring helps the flour to cook evenly.
Stir frequently while the milk heats up. On a low flame, simmer the sauce until it thickens. When the sauce has thickened well and coats the back of a spoon, switch off the flame.
On a low flame, simmer the sauce until it thickens. When the sauce has thickened well and coats the back of a spoon, switch off the flame.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the seasonings – ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, a generous pinch of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg and salt as required. For a cheese sauce, you can add 2 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese.
Mix very well and set aside. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken as it cools, so keep the consistency accordingly.
Boil 4 cups water with ½ teaspoon salt in a pan. When the water comes to a boil, add 1 cup penne pasta.
Cook the pasta on a medium to high flame. When the pasta gets done to an al dente texture, switch off the flame. For a more softer texture, cook the pasta a little longer, Strain the pasta with a strainer spoon.
Then add pasta to the white sauce. Add ¼ teaspoon each of dried oregano, dried basil and dried thyme. Or add your choice of herbs. At this step you can add some steamed, cooked, sautéed or roasted veggies if you’d like.
Mix very well.
Serve white sauce pasta garnished with some fresh herbs like parsley, chives or dill. You can also garnish with some grated cheddar cheese.