Winter squash can go sweet or savory — not surprising for a vegetable that's related to both cucumbers and melons.

A basic cooking method: Cut a squash in half the long way. Spray the cut side with nonstick spray, and roast it, cut-side-down on a sheet pan, for 40 minutes at 400°F or until soft. Discard the seeds and scoop out the flesh.

• Use varieties like calabaza, butternut or sweet pumpkin in soups. Roast them (as indicated above), scoop out the flesh and then purée with a little bit of chicken broth for a creamy-style soup. For a West Indian touch, add a bit of curry powder. For extra nutrition and some texture, add white or garbanzo beans at the very end.

• Pierce the shell of a spaghetti squash with a fork and bake until soft. When slightly cooled, scoop out and discard the seeds. The flesh will separate into strands that can be used like any pasta.

• Acorn squash is the perfect size and shape for stuffing; scoop out the seeds and fill with a stuffing of your choice. Delicious fillings could include diced fruit, sweetened with a few tablespoons of concentrated fruit juice or maple syrup, or minced vegetables with herbs. Put filled squash in a pan filled 1/4 full with water and steam squash in the oven until soft.

• Don't be afraid to mix your winter squash. Try the sweetness of butternut with the nuttier flavors of acorn or turban. Swirl puréed squashes together in recipes for some startling color combinations. You can top a squash soup with a purée of a different hue, mingle the two on a plate for a light and alluring side dish, or drizzle them over roasted pork or chicken.

• For a light and flavorful pasta sauce, roast butternut squash until soft. Discard the seeds and scoop the flesh directly into a blender. Add some fresh or dried sage, a little nutmeg, apple juice to thin it and Parmesan to taste. Buzz it up until smooth and drizzle over pasta.

• Cubes of cooked butternut squash tossed with your favorite dressing make a great (and unexpected) addition to salad.

• For a delicious lasagna variation, layer small, ½-inch cubes of squash between pasta sheets. Use your regular marinara sauce, skim-milk mozzarella and bake as usual.

Do It for Your Health Loaded with beta carotene, winter squash is a great source of vitamin A. It's also rich in fiber, manganese, potassium, niacin, thiamin and vitamin C.

Selecting and Storing Look for squash with vibrant color, a hard shell and a dense, heavy feeling when you lift it. Smaller varieties are often better to cook with as they contain less water, so if you're a pumpkin fan, skip the jack-o-lantern size and choose firm, small pumpkins instead (often called "sugar pumpkins"). Actually harvested in the autumn, winter squash's thick skin makes it easy to store throughout the winter, so it's an ongoing pleasure when other vegetables dwindle to a minimum. Store in a cool, dry place for a month or more; refrigeration isn't necessary, though squash can be kept in a paper bag in the fridge. (Don't use plastic, which causes moisture to build up and can cause squash to rot.) Cut into chunks, squash can be frozen raw or cooked.