
Prepare all of the ingredients before you start cooking. Finely chop the onion and parsley, mince the garlic, and open the canned tomatoes so everything is ready to go.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is 2 minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the bacon and cook for about 1 minute, then add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and the bacon turns lightly golden.
Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the crushed tomatoes and the pinch of sugar to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-high.
Drain the pasta, or transfer it directly from the pot into the skillet with tongs if it is ready at the same time as the sauce.
Toss the pasta with the sauce for about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pasta instead of pooling in the pan. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Be careful with the salt, since the bacon already adds plenty of seasoning.
Serve immediately. Finish with chopped parsley and a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.