Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the capsicum and roast it whole at 200°C for 30 minutes. Some of the capsicum skin will be black after the 30 minutes are over, that's ok.
Place the roasted capsicum into a plastic container and cover it with a lid for 20-30 minutes. Once the capsicum has rested, peel of the skin and deseed the capsicum. Cut the capsicum into small pieces (about 1x1cm).
Bring a pot of water to the boil for the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add salt (it should taste like sea water) and the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente.While the water is heating up and the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce:
Heat up a medium-sized saucepan and add the olive oil. Then add the chopped onion and sliced garlic and cook until translucent.Now add the tomato paste and mix with the onion and garlic. Add the vodka when the tomato paste is just about to stick to the pot and let most of it evaporate before adding the cut capsicum, passata, halved cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes (optional). Add salt to taste.Cook the sauce for at least 10 minutes on low heat.
Once the pasta is al dente, take 60ml (1/4 cup) of pasta water out before straining the pasta.
Return the pasta into the pot and add the sauce, maple syrup as well as the pasta water. Mix everything together.
Serve the pasta with fresh basil, a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and black pepper. Enjoy!