Though in season from early fall through winter, this oblong squash is now available year-round, thanks to its popularity with everyone from paleo fans to the gluten-conscious. Ripe spaghetti squash should have deep yellow skin the color of an egg yolk. The surface should be very hard and free of any bruising or black indentations, which could mean the squash is overripe or damaged. The vegetable keeps well for weeks in a cool, dark area of your kitchen. Once cooked, it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.

Though roasting is a more flavorful method for cooking spaghetti squash, steaming in a pot on the stove works too. This is better with halved squash than rings, since it reduces the amount of water in the flesh. Steaming is faster than cooking spaghetti squash in the oven and works well without olive oil.

To steam spaghetti squash, fit a large pot with a steamer insert and fill with 2 inches of water. Cover, bring to a boil, add squash halves or rings, and cover again. Cook until the squash pulls away from the skin slightly and the spaghetti-like strands pull away easily when you drag the tines of a fork across the flesh—15 to 20 minutes for rings and 35 to 40 minutes for halves.

Now that you’re an expert at cooking spaghetti squash, how can you fit them into your weekly meal planning? We’ve got a few ideas! The first recipe treats the squash as noodles; the second uses it as a bed for succulent portobello steaks.

• Creamy Spaghetti Squash Noodles With Mushrooms, Zucchini, and Oregano
• Spaghetti Squash Sauté

Whether you want spaghetti, squash, or spaghetti squash, a HelloFresh subscription makes dinner ideas easy.