Bettina Campolucci Bordi’s Spring Greens Filo Pie

What is Bettina Campolucci-Bordi cooking this spring? The plant-based chef shares her April cooking guide, including a spring greens filo pie recipe, the perfect dish for get-togethers over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Bettina’s April Cooking Guide

April is a month of in-betweens, where spring stretches its legs and begins to shake off the last of winter’s chill. One of my favourite weekly rituals is having daffodils on my windowsill; this is the season of awakening and for many years I have viewed it as the beginning of my year. I tend to spring clean in every sense, my wardrobe, my pantry and nooks and crannies of my house. 

A fresh energy starts to build, and it shows up on our plates too. The produce aisle gets a bit more exciting. Gone are the deeply rooted, slow-grown heaviness of winter veg replaced with the first tender greens, sharp herbs, and the beginnings of crunch and brightness.

What’s In Season In April?

April is all about asparagus, wild garlic, purple sprouting broccoli, and the first of the radishes blushing and peppery. There’s something so satisfying about that shift from stews to sautéed greens, from roasts to quick griddled veg with lemon. Wild garlic is at its peak right now, its soft green leaves are perfect for pesto, folded into butter, or tossed into brothy noodles. If you’re lucky enough to find it while out walking, always forage mindfully and take only what you need.

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New potatoes begin to arrive too (my favourites): small, buttery, and full of spring promise. I love roasting them simply with olive oil and sea salt or smashing them into a salad with chopped chives, mustard, and a tangy vinaigrette. Peas and broad beans might start making their way in toward the end of the month.

When it comes to fruit, April still leans on stored apples and pears, but rhubarb is the seasonal star blushing pink and intensely tart. I love roasting it with orange zest and a drizzle of maple syrup, then spooning it over porridge or serving it with thick yoghurt and a crumble of nutty granola. 

In my own kitchen, I’ve been leaning into lighter, fresher dishes with punchy dressings and lots of greens. I’ve been obsessed with using dill, mint, and tarragon herbs that feel like spring incarnate. Try stirring chopped dill through warm lentils with lemon, or mint with peas and a soft cheese like ricotta or almond labneh. Spring reminds me to eat with the season, to embrace the in-between, and to make space for lightness in food, in mood, in life.

Recipe: Spring Greens Filo Pie

Serves 4 – 6

This is great for incorporating lots of greens into your diet in the most delicious way possible. The crispy outer layer of filo and the green and good-for-you filling are equally delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 broccoli head, roughly chopped
• 1 large leek, washed thoroughly between the layers and roughly chopped
• 60ml olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Seeds of 3 cardamom pods or 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 240g spinach leaves
• 400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 250ml plant cream (I like oat cream)
• 7 sheets of ready-rolled filo pastry

For the topping:

• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).
2. Add the chopped broccoli to a food processor, and blitz down to create a broccoli pulp.
3. Fry the leek in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. After 5–10 minutes, or once the leeks have softened, add the garlic and cook for a further few minutes. Then add the broccoli pulp, all the spices and the salt and pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Fold in the spinach leaves, chickpeas and plant cream, then mix well.
5. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the base of a large baking tray (pan) or ovenproof dish.
6. Add three sheets of filo pastry to the dish, layering them so that some of the sides hang over the edge. Spread half the greens mixture across the top of the pastry. Add another layer of three sheets followed by the remainder of the greens mix.
7. Place the last sheet of pastry on top and fold in the overhanging edges to create a crust around the edge of the tray/dish.
8. Use a fork to prick holes all over the pastry, then brush the top and edges with olive oil and maple syrup (don’t miss any filo out!) and sprinkle with the nigella seeds.
9. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until piping hot with a nice, golden brown crust.

Bettina is the founder of bettinaskitchen.com