Salame piccante is a delicious, spicy pepperoni from Italy's Calabria region -- the "toe" of the peninsula's sun-kissed boot -- that belongs in your summer repertoire. With a distinct flavor and color, and a range of heat that comes from red peppers and paprika, this versatile cured meat is just as fantastic on a salumi plate (served with condimenti like apricot mostarda and crusty bread) as the bold flavored punch in a pasta dish such as ziti with tuna and salame piccante.

Since I'm typically grilling outside during the summer, I turn to this recipe for those rainy days that call for an effortless meal comprised of pantry staples. Ziti is my shape of choice here, but another short variety like rigatoni or penne would be just as dreamy. The game here is choosing a pasta with a hollowed out center so you can revel in the joyous bits of spicy tuna sauce that gets stuck inside the noodle. It's those nuances in Italian cooking that can make even the rainiest of days sing with sunshine.

Perhaps what I love most about this ziti is the resemblance to my grandma's antipasto, a home jarred appetizer/relish laced with tuna, tomato sauce, olives, spices and vegetables that disappears within minutes when it's around. Just ask my college roommates about our late night snack attacks. As with every simple dish, it's best to purchase the most authentic and fresh ingredients you can find. Go for Italian or Spanish tuna canned in oil (versus water) for a major boost of flavor, as well as a nice salami such as Bel Campo Spicy Pepperoni. If you're like me, you'll buy extra salame piccante for sandwiches the next day or an anytime, stand-alone snack.

Ziti with Tuna and Salame Piccante

Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 as a main course

4 ounces thinly sliced salame piccante

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes

2 cups basic tomato sauce

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