Traditional Spaghetti All'Amatriciana - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, or more if needed
1 onion, finely chopped
7 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
2 cups passata (crushed tomatoes)
1 tablespoon water, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in passata, water, and sugar; cook until sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes
Drain spaghetti and toss with sauce, remaining olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.