Impasta’s pasta and cauliflower pizza is low-carb and healthy. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

When a friend described to me her new favorite low carb dishes at Impasta, a cloud kitchen in Hollywood, I went online to look at the menu. Cloud kitchens are licensed commercial food production facilities offering chefs rental space. Anywhere from one to dozens of restaurants rent space to prepare delivery-optimized menu items. Drivers from various delivery platforms walk up to a counter, show an order on their smartphone and walk out with food to be delivered.

Looking at Impasta’s menu, I noticed eight appealing pasta bowl choices and four different cauliflower pizzas. I ordered three different bowls and an “Impizza” to pick up and bring home for lunch.

The cloud kitchen at Melrose Food Co. serves several eateries – Impasta, Fat Sal’s and a few others. Impasta chef Ozzy Juarez came out with a pizza box and a bag holding the other items I ordered, all in eco-friendly containers.

Chef Ozzy said his culinary niche is creating favorite pasta dishes with a lot less gluten and carbs. He believes you shouldn’t sacrifice your favorite pasta dishes to eat healthier. Instead of grain pasta, he substitutes with spaghetti squash, zoodles made from zucchini, gnocchi made with cauliflower, shirataki noodles and hearts of palm. He makes eight different sauces from organically sourced ingredients and adds proteins that include grilled chicken, shrimp and tofu on top. Chef Ozzy graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts-Pasadena, before working in the kitchens of the Ritz Carlton, Sunset Tower Hotel and the Standard Hotel.

The affable chef said that the best way to eat these dishes is immediately, while they are still warm, so I drove to Silver Lake and parked near the grassy park by the water to have an outdoor Impasta picnic.

The appealing barbecue chicken pizza has a housemade cauliflower crust that is thicker than most and pleasantly chewy. It is one of the best cauliflower crusts I have tasted. He tops it with mozzarella cheese; thick, organic grilled chicken strips; red onion and parsley. This crust is completely gluten- and grain-free. I enjoyed the first slice so much that I had a second slice before tasting each of the Impasta bowls. Other pizzas on the menu include a fresh margherita, a pesto with ricotta cheese pizza, and a white truffle pizza with an egg, sage leaf, truffle oil and shavings.

The spaghetti squash has a similar texture to angel hair pasta, offering a mild and nutty taste. When topped with the tomatoes, burrata and fresh herbs, its earthiness is enhanced.

Since I love gnocchi, I was eager to try the cauliflower gnocchi pesto bowl. On the side was a container of ricotta cheese to add if desired. The vibrant green pesto is made with pounded basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and a little parmesan cheese.  Chef Ozzy makes a cauliflower gnocchi with shredded cauliflower, cassava flour – a gluten-free flour made from yuca – a little potato starch, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

My last Impasta bowl had shirataki noodles with a pleasing and healthy puttanesca sauce. Shirataki noodles are long, white noodles, made from glucomannan, a type of fiber that comes from the root of the konjac plant that grows in Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Mixed with tomatoes, olives and capers, it’s a delicious alternative to grain pasta.

For those who want to build their own low-carb pasta dish, Impasta offers zoodles made from julienned zucchini and from hearts of palm. They can be topped with a brown butter sage, Impossible bolognese, pink sauce, pesto with ricotta, four cheese, puttanesca, pomodoro or cherry tomato with burrata.

Cauliflower rice bowls are filled with roasted cauliflower, grilled vegetables and a protein. I selected tofu; however, you can add grilled organic chicken or shrimp on top.

While staying #saferathome, Impasta is a healthy meal to enjoy that can be delivered through Postmates, ChowNow, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub and Caviar. Go to impastacompany.com or pickup at 615 N. Western Ave. $-$$