Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set it aside so it's ready for assembly later.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest, so the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and drizzle lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mild Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, kosher salt, and black pepper, stirring to combine. Pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the mixture is bubbling. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the sugar and chopped fresh basil, stirring well. Set the sauce aside — it will be layered later.

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, cottage cheese, and sour cream, and mix until well combined. Stir in 1 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cubes until evenly blended. I like to make sure the mixture is extra smooth by using a hand mixer, but a sturdy whisk works fine too.

Add 1 cup of the prepared tomato sausage sauce from Step 3 and the drained pasta from Step 2 to the cheese mixture from Step 4. Stir everything together until the pasta is well coated with the creamy mixture. Then, transfer the combined mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.

Pour the remaining sausage tomato sauce from Step 3 over the pasta mixture in the baking dish. Top evenly with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cubes and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Cover the baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray (to prevent sticking), and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for another 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. If you love a crispier cheese topping like I do, broil for an additional 1-2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.

Remove the baked ziti from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving—this helps the casserole set and makes it easier to slice. Finish by topping with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!