Stovetop Helper

R and I were plowing through some Hamburger Helper during the move until I got really grossed out by it. He thought he'd converted me to some sort of Helper wench, but that was only a temporary phase. I'm over it now. I did, however, decide to make him a Helper-esque meal that will last a few nights, since work may be hectic. Behold the stovetop Italian-style helper!

Soften two onions. Add a bell pepper if desired. Throw in a pound of ground beef. Several garlic cloves. Some wine, any wine. Large can of tomatoes. Some pasta sauce, leftover in the fridge. Some random pesto I had in the fridge. Random Italian-esque seasonings. Pepper, salt, etc. A pound of macaroni, that I had cooked in boiling, salted water for about 5 minutes. Some grated cheese, I think grana padano, which is similar to parmigiano reggiano, the ultimate Italian cheese, smelled the same at least, v. hard, VERY hard. I also tossed in some beef broth because it was getting a bit thick with all the macaroni. Voila.