Thai-style Beef Salad over Angel-Hair Pasta

Ingredients

For Pasta:
-1/2 pound angel hair pasta or other thin pasta
-2 tablespoons cooking oil
-3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
For Almonds:
-1/2 cup sliced almonds
For Beef:
-1 jalapeno chili, seeds and ribs removed, minced
-1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
-1 1/2 pounds ground beef
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)*
-4 scallions including green tops, chopped
-1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
-1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 limes), plus 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

*Available at Asian markets and most supermarkets

Directions

FOR PASTA: In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again thoroughly. Toss the pasta with 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil.

FOR ALMOND: In a large frying pan, toast the almonds over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Or toast the nuts in a 350 degrees F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the pan and chop them.

FOR BEEF: In a large frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add half the jalapeno, the ginger, beef and salt. Cook the meat, stirring frequently, until brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon sesame oil, the fish sauce, scallions, mint and lime juice.

TO SERVE: Put the pasta on plates and top with the beef salad. Sprinkle with the remaining minced jalapeno and the chopped almonds and serve with the lime wedges.