Ultimate Baked Ziti

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or 190 degrees Celsius.

Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Fill a large container with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the boiling water and gently add pasta. Cook until it's almost tender, but still has some bite, approximately 8 minutes. Alternatively, cook for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructions.

At the same time, heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and beef, breaking them up with the back of a spoon as they cook, until browned, around 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook until the onion is translucent and softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add about half a cup of marinara sauce; mix well and let it sit until needed.

Add the remaining marinara sauce to the browned meat mixture. Pour 1/4 cup of water into each jar, shake to release any leftover sauce in the jar, and pour it back into the skillet. Stir and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Mix the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, basil, and a pinch of each salt and pepper together in a bowl.

Add 2 cups of meat sauce to the pasta; mix well.

Spread half a cup of meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add ½ of the pasta mixture and top with 2 cups of meat sauce. Lightly dollop and spread the ricotta mixture over the top and sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining pasta mixture, remaining meat sauce, and remaining mozzarella on top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.