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

Made with a blend of goat cheese, ricotta, spinach, garlic, and fresh herbs, the spread is a delightful bite to pair nicely with a slice of prosciutto. —Abby Fribush, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025

Ricotta Cheese Part-skim milk ricotta cheese delivers 669 mg of calcium per cup or 337 mg for a half cup, which has 171 calories.13 Whole milk ricotta cheese contains 578 mg of calcium, almost twice as much as a cup of milk. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 20 Mar. 2025

The Miami Slice: this pizza consists of sweet baked ham, creamy ricotta cheese and pineapple topped with cinnamon. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025

The menu, which is available exclusively at the resort's Bluewater Grill, includes crispy shrimp tacos drizzled in a sweet and spicy sauce, bite-size tomatoes filled with ricotta cheese, and breaded chicken breasts topped with salsa among other dishes. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 24 Feb. 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