The Easiest Way To Use Up Extra Lemon Balm Before It Goes Bad

Lemon balm is a fragrant, underrated herb that works wonders for deterring kitchen pests and can make a lovely cup of tea, especially if you like to grow your own at home. If you happen to have a surplus of lemon balm and aren't sure how to use it, there's one simple solution that puts the herb to great use. Transform leftover lemon balm into a crave-worthy pesto sauce, either by using it in place of or in addition to basil and other herbs.

True to its name, lemon balm boasts a lemon-forward taste profile. Generally sour with an occasional hint of sweetness, the fresh herb tends to have a stronger scent and taste than its dried counterpart. As such, it would definitely behoove you to use up any fresh lemon balm for a bright and fresh pesto recipe.

While the aforementioned pesto recipe calls for 2 cups of fresh basil, you can try swapping in about a half cup of lemon balm to mix with your basil or using equal parts of both lemon balm and basil to deepen the complexity of the overall herb flavor. As always, when working with a new-to-you herb, taste it before you start preparing your recipe to get an idea of how it will play with the other ingredients. Try mixing arugula into your lemon balm and basil pesto to give it a hint of peppery goodness. This vibrant green sauce will be as versatile as it is delicious.

The five traditional ingredients of a pesto sauce include pine nuts, Genovese basil, olive oil, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and lemon balm is an amazing upgrade to a basic recipe. What's more? There are so many creative ways to use pesto, and you can let the tart flavors of a lemon balm pesto inform the different culinary applications. For example, pesto is a lovely sauce when paired with pasta or swapped in place of a red sauce as the base of a pizza.

Use a generous portion of lemon balm pesto atop a tangy sourdough pizza crust with a hearty sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. You can even accentuate the pizza with fresh basil leaves or a squeeze of roasted garlic on top. Try a herby twist on a pasta al limone recipe by tossing your favorite noodles with a lemon balm pesto. This would go well with fettuccine noodles, orecchiette, farfalle, and more.

Thinking a bit more out of the box, you can serve a lemon balm-based pesto alongside a dish of grilled or baked salmon or spread on top of a burger or sandwich. All the fresh flavors in the sauce will liven up just about any dish. Spread it on your favorite crusty, rustic bread or turn it into a mouthwatering appetizer by swirling the pesto into baked rolls. A little leftover lemon balm will go a long way to make a great pesto even better.