Get Creative with Pixar-Style Ratatouille

Pixar's Ratatouille is famous for its beautiful, unbelievable detail, and the food its hero cooks is no exception. Famously, Pixar hired Chef Thomas Keller to serve as culinary consultant, and the French Laundry luminary worked with the Pixar crew to realize the film's eponymous dish. While it may not resemble old-school ratatouille, the movie's version makes the most of that stew's iconic flavors: tomato, zucchini, peppers, onion, eggplant, and garlic. The peppers and onions get mixed into a piperade, which is thinly spread across the bottom of a casserole pan. On top: those carefully shingled, perfectly sliced vegetables. Keller called the variation confit byaldi, but to everyone who fell in love with the movie, this was ratatouille: a dish fit for a food critic yet so simple a rat could cook it. (Okay, maybe only a magic animated rat with a culinary gift, but still.)

We've got a foolproof method you can use to experience the quiet bliss of making that ratatouille yourself, and we created some fun variations too. Think Breakfastouille, a touille with root vegetables, and even a sweet touille you can whip up whenever a tough dessert critic stops by unannounced. With ratatouille, there are many ways to get creative. They're all going to be delicious.