Red Clam Sauce and Fettucine

I got the original version of this recipe from Ceil Dyer's book: More Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars. It was written as Red Clam Sauce and Linguine, using a recipe from the Hunts Tomato Paste can.

(Note: Since HB doesn't like spaghetti or linguine much, I substituted fettucine, and it worked fine, but the original recipe used linguine.)

1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2  6 1/2 oz cans minced clams (if using chopped clams, mince them up a bit before adding to the saute pan)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 C water (want to try part or all wine sometime)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I didn't use this the first time, because I didn't have it)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp rosemary (bruised and slightly ground in Japanese mortar and pestle)
1/4 tsp ground thyme
8 oz dry fettucine pasta

Saute the onion in oil until very soft, add garlic, and saute anther minute or so.

Add clams and their juice, tomato paste, water (or part wine?), lemon juice, parsley, sugar, rosemary, and thyme.

Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or so -- the mixture will thicken up as it reduces -- may take a bit longer or shorter depending on how fast it's simmering.

While sauce is simmering, cook up the 1/2 pound of fettucine pasta until al dente - mix pasta into the simmering sauce and serve.  Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.

When I made this, we liked it enough that it would have made sense to double the recipe.  Also, I may add some whole baby clams along with the chopped ones to add a little twist.