Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Cook ziti according to package directions until just al dente — it'll finish cooking in the oven, so don't overdo it. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef or sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any excess fat, then stir in the marinara sauce. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and half of the mozzarella. Stir until everything is well mixed.

Add the cooked pasta to the cottage cheese mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Layer the pasta mixture on top, then pour the remaining meat sauce over everything.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and all of the Parmesan over the top.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Dig in!