Preheat your oven: Set to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook until very al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Drain and set aside.

Brown the sausage: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings if needed, crumble into the pan, and cook until browned. Transfer to a plate, leaving some fat in the pan.

Sauté aromatics: Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil if the pan looks dry. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Build the sauce: Return sausage to the pan. Stir in marinara, crushed tomatoes (if using), oregano, red pepper flakes, and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer 5–8 minutes to marry the flavors. Taste and adjust salt.

Mix ricotta layer: In a small bowl, stir ricotta with half the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper, and half the chopped basil. This adds light, creamy pockets throughout the bake.

Combine pasta and sauce: In a large bowl or the pasta pot, toss the drained ziti with most of the sauce, leaving about 1 cup sauce aside for the top. This keeps the top from drying out.

Layer it up: Spread half the sauced ziti in the baking dish. Dollop half the ricotta mixture across the surface. Sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat with remaining ziti and ricotta. Spoon the reserved sauce over the top and finish with the remaining mozzarella and the rest of the Parmesan.

Bake: Cover loosely with foil (tent it so it doesn’t stick to the cheese) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden around the edges.

Rest and finish: Let it rest 10 minutes so it sets. Sprinkle with remaining basil before serving. Slice, scoop, and enjoy.