Preheat Oven & Cook Pasta:

• Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just shy of al dente (about 5-6 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Prepare the Meat Sauce:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef or sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
• Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and marinara sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Make the Ricotta Mixture:

• In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, beaten eggs, 1 cup Parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella until combined.

Thicken the Cream:

• In a saucepan, whisk cornstarch into heavy cream over medium heat. Simmer while stirring until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the ricotta mixture and 1 cup of marinara sauce.

Assemble the Baked Ziti:

• Combine drained pasta with the ricotta sauce mixture and season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining marinara sauce.
• Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake:

• Cover with foil (sprayed with nonstick spray) and bake for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Serve & Enjoy:

• Let the baked ziti rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!