Beefy Tomato Pasta Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 medium green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups water
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
• Croutons

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook the beef, green peppers, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cook for 10-14 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with croutons if desired.