In a large Dutch oven, cook and stir the ground meat, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. I use a really lean beef (or turkey) so I don't normally have to drain any fat when it's done, but if there is any, it should be drained. Stir in the onion and green pepper and cook until softened. Add garlic; cook one more minute.
Add all the remaining ingredients except for the elbow macaroni to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally about 15 minutes.
Add the pasta; keep covered and simmer, stirring often to prevent pasta from sticking to bottom of pot, for another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked and tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.