Fish and Pasta With Wine Sauce

1 large lemon
½ cup virgin olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (about 2 to 3 onions, depending on size)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 bottle (8-ounce) clam juice
¾ cup dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds penne pasta, elbows, or shells
1 ½ pounds scrod fillets, completely cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces about 3/4 inch thick
6 tablespoons chopped parsley or shredded basil
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
  726 calories; 20 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 91 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 48 milligrams cholesterol; 907 milligrams sodium

6 servings

Bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil in a pot set over high heat. Meanwhile, with a vegetable peeler, remove about 10 to 12 strips from the outermost surface of the skin of the lemon, which contains the essential oils and thus is the most flavorful part of the skin. Stack them up together and cut into tiny strips (julienne). This should yield about 3 tablespoons.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan. When hot, add the onion and thyme and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, julienned lemon peel, clam juice, wine and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and continue boiling about 1 minute.
To the water now boiling in the pot, add the pasta with a dash of salt and stir. Bring the water back to boil and continue boiling for about 10-12 minutes, depending on whether you like your pasta al dente or more tender.
While the pasta is cooking, add the pieces of fish to the wine sauce and bring the sauce just back to boil. Cover and set the fish and sauce aside until serving time.
As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and return to the pot in which it was cooked. Pour about 1/2 cup of the wine sauce over the pasta and toss to moisten the pasta. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and toss again.
Arrange the pasta either on a large platter or on individual plates and top with the remainder of the sauce and the pieces of fish. Garnish with the parsley or basil and serve immediately with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

30 to 40 minutes