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

This one is packed with noodles, Italian sausage, mozzarella, and ricotta. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026

At about 264 calories for a 3 1/2-ounce serving (21 grams of fat), feta hovers midway between the higher-in-fat cheddars at about 403 calories and the low-in-fat part-skim ricottas at about 138 calories. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025

Savor the island’s best cuisine at Il Principe e il Pirata and try a bacio pantesco, a local dessert consisting of creamy ricotta sandwiched between two crispy shells. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2025

My favorite is the pizza napoletana, but the pizza Tre Mori is also popular, with raw pistachio, mortadella, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 5 Dec. 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