Ohh yes the produce section of my fave grocery store (and all grocery stores in Seattle, for that matter) is brimming with beautifully ugly squash!

There are quite a few varieties, so this whole squash business can become quite overwhelming real quick. 

But I have no problem singling out my top three picks.

Clearly I could not be a teacher because I would have favorites… and everyone would know it.

Anyway.

Delicata squash will always be my number one.

Those little guys are by far the easiest to cut.

Nooo “decapitated hands” as my mom would say.

(Don’t even bother sorting that one out.)

And you don’t have to worry about any peeling action since the skin is tender and edible.

Plus, they’re quite sweet on their own and roast up lightning-fast.

Well, maybe not lightning-fast but you get the point.

Butternut squash comes in at numero dos.

The butternut may be the most famous squash because it blends up into dreamy creamy soups and it also roasts pretty well.

Try stuffing roasted butternut into enchiladas with fresh spinach, tangy goat cheese, and a smoky chipotle sauce.

Or simply visit Cactus and order the “butternut squash enchiladas” off their menu like a lazy bum… just try not to fill up on those warm chips like this guilty party right here.

When preparing a butternut yourself, you do have to be more careful with the whole hackathon ordeal, and please do not attempt to choke down the peel.

Clearly my murder mystery consumption has reached an all time high.

Back on topic…

Tied for second, we have our friend spaghetti squash who is also a pain in the rear to slice open.

You just have to shove your knife in there, work it around, and hope for the best.

Apart from the arduous carving, spaghetti squash is pretty cool because of it’s unique texture.

It’s stringy (I know, not the most appetizing word ever) like spaghetti (duh) so you can fluff it up and mix in sauces, other veg, seeds, herbs, or whatever.

This time around, I mixed my spaghetti squash with extra virgin olive oil, sauteed sugar snap peas, toasted pine nuts, spicy red pepper flakes, a hit of salt and pepper, plus some fresh basil.

Now that’s an easy side.

P.S. Turn this puppy into a main dish by topping it off with a crispy fried egg… and some freshly grated Parm. Ohh yes I did. (Of course it wouldn’t be vegan anymore… chickpeas anyone?)

P.P.S. If you’re a garlic fiend, go ahead and stir some sauteed garlic into your spaghetti squash. I just can’t handle much garlic anymore so I left this part out. Tear.

P.P.P.S. You can swap in green beans for the sugar snap peas, or you could even toss some green peas in there. Get creative man, this isn’t a baking recipe.