I saw a video yesterday filmed in North Dakota, where it’s so cold that a bowl of ramen had frozen solid into what looked like an ice sculpture in the shape of noodles. It drove home how cold it is in many parts of the country right now. To my mind, that calls for hearty winter recipes. And nothing is cozier than what I can coax from one of winter’s heartiest vegetables: the squash. Here I’ve gathered up 12 healthy winter squash recipes to nourish you through the cold.

Many Variety of Winter Squash

There are well over two dozen varieties of winter squash. The ones I’m most familiar with are butternut, sugar pie pumpkin, spaghetti, delicata, acorn, red kuri, and kabocha. This winter, I’ve also been introduced to honeynut, which looks like a mini butternut and tastes creamy and delicious. Each variety has different merits from a culinary standpoint, but all are nutritious.

Healthy Winter Squash

The bright orange of winter squash signals a vegetable packed with vitamin A. Squash is a quality carbohydrate that delivers vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, particularly if you eat the skin. In addition, the seeds of winter squash are universally edible when roasted, a source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. You can learn more about the benefits of winter squash by heading here.

Winter Squash Cooking Tips

Winter squash can be tricky to work with. That hearty exterior requires a good knife and some elbow grease to cut through. You can make things go a littler easier by spearing your squash in a few places and popping it into the microwave for a minute or two to soften it before cutting. Alternatively, reach for smaller squash that are a little easier to handle, such as honeynut and delicata.