• Preheat your oven to 350°F

Cook the Pasta:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the ziti pasta and cook until just before al dente (usually 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions). The pasta should be cooked about 80 percent and will continue cooking in the oven.
• Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot.

Prepare Cheese Mixture:

• In a mixing bowl, combine all the ricotta cheese, 3 cups of the marinara sauce, and all the parmesan cheese. Taste for salt and add salt in ½ teaspoon increments. Then, add egg when the salt has been adjusted and mix well.

Combine Pasta and Cheese Mixture:

• Add the cheese mixture to the cooked pasta. Stir until the pasta is well-coated.

Layer the Ziti:

• Pour half the pasta/cheese mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Add half of the mozzarella over the pasta and top with the remaining pasta, followed by the remaining marinara sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake and Serve:

• Bake covered with aluminum foil in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from oven, uncover, and add the cheese on top. Continue baking uncovered until the mozzarella is melted. Garnish with basil chiffonade if desired.
• Let the baked ziti stand for a few minutes after removing it from the oven. This helps to set the layers.