8 oz vermicelli rice noodles or angel-hair pasta
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb beef sirloin cut into 2 inch long strips
1 red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 red bell peppers, sliced
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 14 oz can coconut milk
Optional: 2 tsp fish sauce and 2 tsp sugar
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook noodles until tender.
Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat the 1 tbsp oil over medium high season beef with salt and pepper; add half the beef to the skillet. Cook without stirring until browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate and continue with the other half of beef.
Add onion, peppers and water to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender crisp, 3-4 minutes. Add curry paste; cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until fragrant and combined about 1 minute.
Return beef and accumulated juices to skillet; add coconut milk. Stir in fish sauce and sugar if using. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles to the sauce and toss to combine.
