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 pizza has soppressata, whipped ricotta and drizzles of hot honey. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026

The new location brings the restaurant’s lemon ricotta pancakes, smash burgers, old-school milkshakes and pie from the original Half Moon Bay spot on the coastside to Peninsula residents closer to the bay. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026

Of the pastas, the ravioli (stuffed with spinach and ricotta and served in a light brown butter sage sauce) and the spaghetti di frutti di mare are complete standouts. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026

Second-most popular is a hot oil pizza, and the third best seller is the hot honey with ricotta cheese. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026

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