Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, and chopped green bell pepper, then cook for 8–10 minutes while breaking the beef into small pieces, until the meat is browned and the vegetables begin to soften.

Drain excess fat if needed, leaving the browned meat and vegetables in the pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so the garlic becomes fragrant without burning.

Stir in the undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly so the tomato paste dissolves into the liquid and the seasoning is distributed throughout the sauce.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the uncooked elbow macaroni. Make sure the pasta is mostly covered by the tomato mixture before reducing the heat.

Cover the skillet or Dutch oven and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring several times so the macaroni does not stick and cooks evenly. If the mixture becomes too thick before the pasta is tender, add a small amount of water and continue cooking.

When the macaroni is tender, taste the goulash and adjust the seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes so the sauce can thicken before serving.