Preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, prepare all your ingredients: dice the red and green peppers into small, uniform pieces, dice the onion, and mince the 10 garlic cloves. Having everything prepped and ready will keep your cooking smooth and prevent burning aromatics. Set all prepped vegetables aside in separate small bowls.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ziti pasta to al dente according to package directions—it should still have a slight firmness since it will cook more in the oven. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Break the meat into small crumbles with a spoon and cook until deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This browning develops rich, savory flavors that form the foundation of your sauce. Drain the pasta in a colander (but don't rinse it—the starch helps bind everything together) and set aside. Drain excess fat from the browned meat if needed, leaving just enough to cook the vegetables.

Add the diced peppers, onion, and minced garlic from Step 1 to the skillet with the cooked meat. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce, heavy cream, and all the seasonings: Parmesan cheese, basil, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. I like to add the sugar first to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir everything together until well combined, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. This gentle simmering ensures the sauce develops depth without reducing too much.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, basil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined—don't overmix. Stir in 3-4 large spoonfuls of the meat sauce from Step 3 to add flavor and create a binding element that helps hold the pasta together during baking. For the best texture, I always use whole milk ricotta rather than low-fat versions, as it creates a creamier, more luxurious filling.

Add the cooked ziti pasta from Step 2 to the bowl with the ricotta mixture and fold everything together gently until the pasta is evenly coated. The goal is to combine everything without breaking the pasta or creating a mushy mixture.

Spread a thin layer of meat sauce from Step 3 across the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add half of the pasta-ricotta mixture from Step 5 and spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle a light layer of mozzarella cheese over this. Spoon the remaining meat sauce on top in an even layer, then add the remaining pasta-ricotta mixture and spread it out. Top everything with the remaining mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups total). Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake the covered ziti at 350°F for 30-45 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the dish is heated through. Remove the foil and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to lightly brown the top until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let the dish cool for 5-10 minutes before serving—this resting period allows the filling to set slightly so it holds together when plated.