Butternut squash has a pale orange inner meat beneath pale, thick skin. Before baking a butternut squash, you’ll need to scoop out the small pouch of seeds in the center of the base of the squash. From there, you can peel the squash and dice the meat or you can place the two halves skin side up on a baking sheet. The squash should be covered in a tablespoon or more of oil and seasoned to taste. We recommend cooking halved squash in an oven set at 350F and baking for 50 minutes. Baking diced butternut squash is similar, but set the oven to 375F and bake for 25-30 minutes.

The bake time for spaghetti squash may vary depending on how tender you like your “spaghetti,” but in general, you’ll want to bake your squash for no more than 40 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Before you put the squash in the oven, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts in the middle. Place the halves cut side down on a pan, prick holes in the skin, and bake. You can tell if your spaghetti squash is ready if spaghetti-like strands easily release from the skin of the squash. If they do not, continue baking it and check back every 5 minutes until it’s done.

The bake time for yellow squash, also known as summer squash, is 20 minutes at 400 degrees or 30 minutes at 350 degrees. For the best results, cut it into quarter-inch slices, then bake it until it’s tender. Yellow squash is a great side dish, but you’ll want to keep a close eye on it, as it’s easy to overcook in the oven.

If you’re looking for a crispier take on yellow squash, try sprinkling breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese over the top at the end, then broiling your squash for just a minute or two until the breadcrumbs brown or the cheese starts to melt.