Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta.

Cook the pasta until al dente, making sure not to overcook them. Drain in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Brown the Italian sausage.

Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet, sauté until the onion is translucent.

Mix in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and tomato paste. Stir until combined.

Add the crushed and diced tomatoes and sugar to the skillet, stir well and let simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and gently mix with the meat sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, parsley, salt, black pepper, and the egg. Stir well.

In a 9x13-inch casserole dish, layer half of the pasta sauce followed by the cheese mixture, then the remaining pasta sauce.

Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over the top.

Loosely tent aluminum foil over the dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!