Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large pot, brown the ground beef or sausage completely over medium heat. Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Stir in marinara sauce and canned diced tomatoes (undrained). Cover and simmer for 15 minutes to meld flavors. Reserve 2 cups of sauce separately.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ziti pasta until just under al dente (about 8-9 minutes if package suggests 10 minutes). Drain well.

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, egg, minced parsley, minced basil, grated garlic, salt, and pepper.

Add the cooked ziti pasta to the reserved meat sauce and stir well to coat.

Spread half of the pasta and meat sauce mixture in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Dollop half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta, distributing it evenly.

Scatter fresh mozzarella cheese pieces on top. Pour the reserved 2 cups of meat sauce over this layer.

Add the remaining pasta mixture followed by the remainder of the ricotta cheese mixture.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses evenly over the entire dish.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes to get a golden bubbly top.

Remove from the oven, optionally garnish with fresh basil or parsley, and serve.