Place the sausage mix in a bowl, pour the boiling water over it and stir. Let sit 5 minutes.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, 1 teaspoon pepper, the salt, garlic powder, and paprika, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any clumps, until the sausage starts to brown, about 15 minutes.