ricotta

noun

ri·​cot·​ta ri-ˈkä-tə 

-ˈkȯ-

: a white unripened whey cheese of Italy that resembles cottage cheese

also : a similar cheese made in the U.S. from whole or skim milk

Examples of ricotta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Start your meal with an order of cinnamon-sugar dusted blueberry fritters for the table, then make the very difficult choice between sweet (think challah French toast or lemon ricotta pancakes) or savory (omelets, hashes, Benedicts, and biscuits). —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025

Before dessert there was a slice of fine pecorino with arugula and chestnut honey, followed by a simple olive oil cake with summer fruits and delightful ricotta sorbet. —John Mariani, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

The decadent lemon and ricotta pancakes, served with lemon curd, blueberries, and maple syrup, dispel any notion of low-calorie-only food here. —Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2025

Its eight- and 11-course tasting-only menus are guided by the seasons, but Wagyu beef tartare, homemade ricotta gnudi and striped sea bass are signature dishes. —Mariette Williams, USA Today, 24 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from feminine of past participle of ricuocere to cook again, from Latin recoquere, from re- + coquere to cook — more at cook

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ricotta

• biota
• iota
• lakota
• nonquota
• chota
• cota
• quota

Kids Definition

ricotta

noun

ri·​cot·​ta ri-ˈkät-ə 

: a soft, white Italian cheese