SAUSAGE-PENNE & TOMATO SAUCE

l lb. Italian sausage
l/2 cup water
l large onion, thinly sliced
l lb. penne or other short cut pasta
3-l/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
l/2 lb. mozzarella cheese (frresh) cubed
Put sausage in saute pan, add water and simmer uncovered until susage turns gray. Discard water and continue cooking sausage until it begins to brown. Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage has browned on all sides and onions are wilted. Transfer the onions to a bowl. Set aside. Remove sausage to cutting board and allow it to cool for 5 mins. Cut sausage in l/4″ rounds and add to bowl with onions. Set aside.
Cook penne in boiling water with l tbsps. salt until it is al dente. Drain penne and transfer to bowl with sausage. Mix in 3 cups of the sauce and half of the mozzarella. Heat oven 350. Transfer mixture to 9xl3″ baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in oven until bubbly. Serve immediately.
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