Spaghetti Lover's Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14 ounce) jar prepared spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 ounces dried spaghetti, broken into 2- to 3-inch pieces

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, celery, carrot, and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Transfer meat mixture to a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker (see Tip). Stir in tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, water, tapioca, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in spaghetti. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more or until pasta is tender.