Our family loves winter squash, but I don’t like trying to cut a hard, rolling object with a large, sharp knife. So I stick them into the oven whole and then cut and remove seeds later when they are soft and not so dangerous and unwieldy.
I put them into the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on what I want to do with them later. If you'd like to peel them and chop them into cubes for roasting, pull them out a little earlier. If you want to mash them, leave them in until they are soft and well cooked. Either way, you will be able to cut them, peel them, and scoop out the seeds with no danger to your fingers or your counter tops.
Science is magic that works. Kurt Vonnegut
