Shrimp are Americans' favorite seafood, and it's no wonder: Easy to prepare, quick to cook, fun to eat, and available fresh or frozen, shrimp are the MVP of shellfish. Our collection of 60 recipes -- a Forrest Gump-worthy litany of shrimp cocktail, crispy coconut shrimp, shrimp salad, grilled shrimp kebabs, shrimp scampi, and more -- is only the beginning of the possibilities with this versatile crustacean.

Canned and fresh tomatoes combine in a flavorful pasta dish. After browning garlic and simmering diced tomatoes, add cherry tomatoes to the sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Add sauteed shrimp and cooked pasta for a one-course dinner.

East meets West in this reinterpretation of traditional Louisiana grilled shrimp: Put shrimp on the fire until just pink, then toss with a Vietnamese-inflected sauce of lime, cilantro, and peanuts.

This version of shrimp scampi has a lot less fat than the buttery original. After tossing the shrimp with oil and garlic, place under the broiler. Just squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp when it's done. Serve with rice pilaf to round out the meal.

In his recipe for a Southern specialty, chef Frank Stitt combines boiled shrimp and onions in a brine flavored with celery seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors combine and serve as an appetizer.

Along with being quick and easy, chef Emeril Lagasse's seared shrimp salad is a light and refreshing meal on a warm-weather evening. The sweet and savory dressing includes orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and chile flakes for kick.

This version of gumbo is made with a roux (a mixture of flour and melted butter) and Louisiana cuisine's "holy trinity" of bell peppers, onions, and celery. After simmering the vegetables in the broth for half an hour, add the shrimp for the last few minutes of cooking. Serve with rice.

This single-skillet dish is a complete meal. After cooking shrimp, saute the vegetables, add the couscous and boiling water, and let stand until absorbed. Mustard seeds add an exotic flavor.

This Southern-style dish comes together with very little effort. The creamy grits only need occasional stirring. Cook smoky bacon in a skillet, brown onions in the fat, pour in canned tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until opaque. Serve over grits and sprinkle with bacon.

This recipe is a better version of the Chinese take-out favorite. Use egg whites instead of whole eggs in the batter to create a crispy coating, and cook the shrimp in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Coat the fried shrimp with the citrusy sweet-and-sour sauce.

You can host a Louisiana-style shrimp boil no matter where you live: Bring a large pot of water with spices to a boil. Add shrimp, cook for a few minutes, and fish out with a slotted spoon. For a more authentic experience, pop the whole shrimp in your mouth, sucking out the juices before discarding the shell.

This recipe for shrimp cocktail is three times more delicious than ordinary versions of the classic appetizer, thanks to a trio of dipping sauces: a traditional tomato-horseradish sauce, a mango-basil sauce, and remoulade sauce. Leave the shrimp with their peels on for a bit of hands-on fun.

There's something for everyone to love about this crispy coconut-shrimp recipe: Kids love the sweet-and-sour dipping sauce, while adults go for the spicier curry sauce.

Try this spicy shrimp and rice dish -- a New Orleans favorite -- for a simple dinner for family or friends. If you prefer a milder smoked sausage, use chorizo or kielbasa in place of the traditional Cajun andouille.

Using store-bought dumpling wrappers makes it a snap to prepare potstickers at home. The traditional recipe uses a wok, but a cast-iron skillet works just as well.

Snapper is marinated overnight in citrus juice while shrimp gets a quick boil, then both are combined with tomatillos and jalapenos for a spicy summer dish.

There are three simple steps to this 30-minute recipe: Cooking the penne pasta, sauteing the shrimp, and simmering the spicy tomato sauce. Combine the three elements and dinner is served.

Most ceviche "cooks" raw seafood in an acidic liquid, such as citrus juice. Here, you boil the shrimp, and, once cool, combine with diced avocado and other ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips for a refreshing appetizer.

While the spaghetti boils, make the Asian-style marinade, toss with the shrimp and vegetables, and broil. Combine with pasta before serving.

Fresh parsley and oregano adds brightness to this dish of simple sauteed shrimp, while dry white wine brings a hint of fruity flavor. (If you prefer to omit the alcohol, use broth or water instead.)

After roasting the shrimp shells, puree them with the broth and then strain out the solids. You'll produce an intense shrimp flavor, and thicken the soup at the same time.

To make this exotic appetizer, chef Sue Torres layers guacamole, caramelized pineapple, and poached shrimp atop crispy tostadas made from rounds cut out of corn tortillas and deep fried. (For a shortcut, use store-bought tortilla chips.)

This easy appetizer is a hit at a party. Since the recipe calls for chopped shrimp, buy smaller shrimp, which is more cost-effective than larger sizes. Mix with a combination of sour cream and light mayonnaise, along with scallions, parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, and serve with crostini or crackers.

Give classic Caesar salad a Tex-Mex twist: Toss tortilla wedges and shrimp with chili powder before cooking, then put atop a salad of romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, and anchovies, tossed with a healthier-than-usual dressing with light mayonnaise and lime juice.

A sunny combo of peppers -- red, orange, and yellow -- lends sweetness and color to this dish of angel-hair pasta and shrimp, while thinly sliced salami adds a bit of salty flavor. You can adjust the amount of peperoncini (or omit it altogether), depending on your family's taste.

Liven up simple sauteed shrimp with scallion rice and a zingy Asian-style dipping sauce. If you don't have a fresh chile on hand, substitute a pinch of red-pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce. If you can't find peeled and deveined shrimp, use kitchen shears to make removal of the shells easier.

Coconut milk adds sweetness and creaminess to this shrimp soup (use light coconut milk instead of regular to reduce fat and calories). You can substitute vermicelli for the angel-hair pasta; just boil the noodles a bit longer.

Make a flavorful Asian cilantro sauce and divide into portions to brush onto shrimp skewers before grilling, and to serve as a dipping sauce when they're ready. A sesame seed and cabbage slaw makes a cooling side dish.

Hot and savory curried shrimp is a warm and comforting one-dish meal. Stir in sour cream or yogurt at the end and serve with jasmine or basmati rice. For less spice, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno.

These shrimp are incredibly easy to make: Thread three shrimp per skewer (this makes them easy to turn while cooking), then dip shrimp in soy sauce and vinegar and coat with sesame seeds before cooking. Serve with buttered rice or noodles and sauteed greens for a simple supper.

Chef Emeril Lagasse's lemon-herb grilled shrimp recipe is simple and versatile. Marinate the shrimp in a mixture of lemon, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme for an hour, leaving on the shells for more flavor. Grill for a few minutes per side and then serve with corn on the cob, grilled vegetables, or a rice pilaf.

To make this stir-fry's sauce, use freshly squeezed ginger juice by grating ginger and pressing the pulp through a sieve, which adds refreshing flavor but no fibrous solids. Try serving the dish over rice or shredded napa cabbage.

To make this fiery shrimp dish, chef Jim Botsacos roasts jumbo prawns or shrimp with a hot-pepper-and-breadcrumb-topping on a bed of Greek-spiced tomato sauce (saltsa).

Serve this simple shrimp saute with tossed greens for a light dinner, or, for a more elaborate meal, as a part of a menu with a frisee and baby-spinach salad, spaghetti with peas and zucchini, and blackberry crumble for dessert.

Avocado makes the buttermilk dressing especially rich. Toss with chopped romaine lettuce, toasted pumpkin seeds, and fresh cilantro leaves, and top with cooked shrimp. You'll have extra dressing; refrigerate it in an airtight container and use up within three days.

This shrimp-filled take on Maine's classic lobster roll is just as tasty as the original but a lot lighter on the wallet. For a touch of Down East authenticity, use top-sliced hot dog buns.

This scampi recipe requires a little extra effort, but the results are worth it: After marinating the shrimp, drain the marinade and reduce in a pan over medium-high heat. Pour over the shrimp in a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and clarified butter, and then broil. Serve with salad for a celebratory dinner.

Alternate shrimp with pieces of Spanish cured sausage (chorizo) that's been cut on the bias to ensure easy threading and even cooking. After grilling, serve with avocado wedges drizzled with lime juice.

These dim-sum staples are easy to make at home. Use store-bought wonton wrappers to the dumpling and steam them in a bamboo steamer set over a skillet or wok of simmering water. Serve with vinegar-ginger dipping sauce.

In this shrimp and avocado salad, chef Emeril Lagasse uses a dressing of remoulade, a classic sauce made of mayonnaise, ketchup, scallions, parsley, and celery. The only heat involved in this recipe is boiling water to cook the shrimp, making this a smart choice for a warm-weather dinner.

To create the tostadas, top large flour tortillas with Monterey Jack cheese and bake until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are curled and crispy. Top with sauteed zucchini and shrimp.

Grapefruit adds a refreshing touch to this shrimp-and-spinach main-course salad. If you want a bit more sweetness, substitute orange for the grapefruit.

This delicious, 20-minute linguine-and-shrimp recipe belongs in everyone's dinner repertoire. Sauteeing shrimp while the pasta cooks gets the meal on the table fast.

Use two skewers per kebab to help keep the shrimp in place when turning them on the grill. The accompanying cilantro dipping sauce is a cool complement to the cayenne pepper of the marinade.

Yogurt and lemon juice create a creamy and refreshing dressing for this shrimp pasta salad; mint and olives lend a Greek flair.

Serve these shrimp with a tequila-citrus marinade on their own as an appetizer, or add rice to offer as a main course.

These crispy shrimp look fried, but they are actually baked. Using Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) instead of regular breadcrumbs makes the results especially light and crunchy.

After making the peanut noodles, broil the shrimp skewers and stir-fry the broccoli with a bit of garlic-chile oil. Serve the shrimp with noodle and broccoli, drizzling the rest of the oil over everything.

You can create this simple pasta dish in just minutes: While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon, then saute the shrimp in the rendered fat along with the scallions and garlic. To double the number of bites of shrimp, split them in half lengthwise.

Save time and use frozen corn and precooked shrimp for this recipe. Create the cold, creamy soup entirely in the blender; stir in the chopped shrimp before serving. Garnish with tomatoes, avocado, and whole shrimp.

Serve this traditional Southern shrimp boil for a casual family meal: Set out the meal on butcher paper and have fun digging in. Leave the shrimp with the shells intact for a more hands-on eating experience.

This meal is akin to Southern shrimp and grits, with an Italian twist: Spoon the stew-like shrimp and tomatoes over creamy polenta and serve with green beans.

Andouille sausage brings Cajun flavor to this shrimp saute served over white rice. If you can't find it, substitute kielbasa and add cayenne pepper to taste for a bit more heat.

This salad requires minimal cooking: After sauteing the shrimp, combine with salad greens and cannellini beans, then drizzle with dressing for lunch or a light dinner.

For a fun appetizer, leave the peeling of these shell-on shrimp to your guests. Most of the salt the shrimp are cooked in gets discarded with the shells.

This Vietnamese-inspired recipe relies on a quick mint marinade to infuse the shrimp with flavor before they're sauteed, tossed with glass noodles (available in Asian markets and the international aisle of your grocery store), and dressed with chile and lime.

Gazpacho is traditionally made by adding olive oil to the vegetable puree. This version of the Spanish soup only uses a small amount of oil amount to cook the shrimp, reducing fat and calories.

This simple recipe has only two main steps: boiling and tossing. Cook the pasta, shrimp, and vegetables in one pot. (Check the pasta package instructions to make sure you cook the other ingredients for the correct amount of time.)

Asian cooks traditionally use a wok when making a stir-fry. Alternatively, you can cook this simple dish, flavored with garlic, salt, and pepper, in a large nonstick skillet. Serve with sliced scallions and lime wedges.

Because this easy dinner is prepared in the microwave, there are no extra pots or pans to wash. Use a microwave-safe serving dish to cook the rice, steam the shrimp until opaque, then bring to the table.

Despite the name, Louisiana "barbecued" shrimp doesn't go directly on the grill. Rather, you cook the shrimp in a skillet with plenty of butter, rosemary, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Serve with plenty of bread to mop up the lip-smacking cooking liquid.

Curry powder adds a bit of heat to this one-skillet meal. Saute cubes of potatoes until crisp, then set aside while you cook the shrimp. Combine all the ingredients before serving.

We used more-affordable shrimp instead of lobster to make these delicious summertime sandwiches.