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I don't understand why we rarely use pumpkin as an ingredient.

Sure it's popular around Halloween for jack-o'-lanterns. But when cooked right, it's simple and delicious as well as nutritious.

Calabaza squash — cooking pumpkins — can be used in soups, pastries and entrees.

And it packs as much nutrition as it does flavor. It is loaded with beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin A, fiber and iron, as well as a healthy dose of vitamin C.

My Latin friends make sweet pastries from calabaza that they layer with cream cheese and eat for breakfast. Many of the Mexican cooks I work with turn chunks of fresh pumpkin into incredible caramelized gems that take on a candy-like texture.

Perhaps it is the American sweet tooth that has us folding pumpkin purée into cheesecakes and bubbling, molasses-sweetened pies.

While sweet is good, I prefer the savory route. I enjoy pumpkin as an entree, side dish or in a chunky, heady chowder made spicy with jalapeños and tart with lime. I've also become fond of Jamaican-style patties reminiscent of Latin empanadas stuffed with spicy pumpkin.

Often calabaza squashes are very large so they are cut into pieces and packaged for sale. If using fresh calabaza squash, look for wedges that are neither slimy nor dry looking. The seeds should still be intact without mold or too much liquid noticeable. Cut wedges will keep at least two weeks.

Whole calabaza, if you can find a small one, will last more than a month in the refrigerator.

Try this simple recipe for savory calabaza (pumpkin) mash. It can be served as a side dish or used as a filling for empanadas or soft tacos or formed into patties and fried.

This mash can be served as a side dish or scooped up with roti or flat bread. You can also make the mash ahead of time, spread it on tortillas and top with crumbled queso blanco to make a quesadilla.

Makes: 6 servings.

• 1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 small chile pepper, seeded and chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 3 cups calabaza squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch squares.

• 1/2 cup water

• Salt, to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, chile peppers and cumin seeds; sauté 2 minutes.

Add the allspice, squash and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes until squash is tender and liquid is absorbed. Mash with a potato masher or fork and season with salt.

Per serving: 90 calories (26 percent from fat), 3 g total fat (0.4 g saturated), no cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 2 g total sugars, 13 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 6 mg sodium.