If I was a farmer, I'd grow winter squash. The whimsical colors and shapes are as beguiling as the sweet-earthy taste: long or round; oblong, tubby or squat; striped or bright orange; bumpy or netted with lacy veins; each variety looks like a character from a children's book. I like to arrange different squashes on our front steps for display until I'm ready to cook.

Squash is a New World vegetable that grows across the globe. Its mellow flavors take to a range of different seasonings, depending on the culture and cuisine. One of the most versatile vegetables, squash is delicious roasted, sautéed, stir-fried, grilled, and simmered into soup.

At the market, look for winter squashes that are rock hard and free of bruises and soft spots. The stems should be firmly attached and the squash should feel heavy for its size. Lightness indicates it's dried out. Keep squash in a relatively cool, dark place, and, once it is cut, wrap it in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Squash is a vegetable that actually tastes better after it's been harvested. Once out of the field, it's "cured" for about a week so that the skin toughens slightly. As its moisture evaporates, the flavors intensify. Most squash should be peeled before cooking, but I find that the skin of butternut and delicata is tender enough so that step is often not necessary.

When it comes to cooking squash, sausages are my secret go-to ingredient for a sheet-pan dinner. The sausage's juices and fats render in the high heat to leave a silky puddle of schmaltz that bastes and seasons the squash. It doesn't take much for this one-dish dinner to emerge from the oven — spicy, earthy and sweet, and ready to serve over wild rice, tangle in pasta or with plenty of rough bread to sop up all the good drippings.

Roast Squash and Sausage

Serves 4.

Here is a perfect sheet-pan pairing. Sausage and squash, roasted in a hot oven so the sausage's juices baste the squash to be tender and crisped. Feel free to toss in other vegetables, too. Serve over wild rice or pasta or enjoy just as it is with plenty of crusty bread to sop up all those luscious flavors. From Beth Dooley.

• 2 lb. squash (butternut, acorn, red kuri, delicata), halved and seeded, and peeled if desired

• 1 medium white onion, peeled

• 1 lb. sausage (Italian, bratwurst, your choice)

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Drizzle of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash and onion into 1- inch pieces. Cut the sausage into 2-inch chunks. Scatter the squash, onion and sausages onto a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Season with the salt and pepper.

Roast the squash, onion and sausages, stirring occasionally to coat the squash in the rendered juices and fat, until the squash is tender and the sausages are crisp and cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the density of the squash. Season with a drizzle of vinegar or lemon juice and additional salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Beth Dooley is the author of "The Perennial Kitchen." Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.