It’s a funny word, squash. It’s a verb. It’s a racket sport. It’s a vegetable with two large families that bear very little resemblance to one another beyond their viney, take-over-the-backyard growing habit.

Squash runs the gamut from Acorn to Zucchini, and frankly, I love all of ‘em. It’s crazy-versatile, too—zucchini is as happy raw as it is cooked; butternut squash makes a lovely soup and a delicious winter salad. Have your way with squash; it won’t mind.

recipes for cooking with summer and winter squash

Spaghetti squash with corn and toasted garlic—I can’t get enough of this combination of sweet summer corn and skillet-toasted garlic (oh, and hello, Parmesan!), on top of spaghetti squash. These lovely golden strands make a terrific low-calorie alternative to pasta; here’s the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash.

Butternut squash salad with blue cheese—I hacked this recipe together based on a lunchtime salad I had at one of Cincinnati’s top restaurants. (Theirs was much prettier, to be sure.)

Ribbon zucchini salad—Perfectly summery, this salad combines raw zucchini sliced paper-thin (a vegetable peeler does this neatly), tossed with lemon juice and olive oil and topped with a bright, pesto-like combination of basil, scallion and sliced almonds.

Lovely vegetable tart—A mix of roasted seasonal vegetables and crumbles of fresh goat cheese fill this super-flavorful vegetable tart; it would be wonderful as a meatless main course or hearty lunch. Use both winter and summer squash in this recipe.

I recently shared a full list of healthy and delicious squash recipes on SparkPeople.com. Check out 10 Ways with Squash of All Sorts.