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

Member’s Mark Five Cheese Tortellini Made with ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, mascarpone, and romano cheeses, Member’s Mark Five Cheese Tortellini comes in a two pack and can be cooked frozen. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 9 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

Use a large wooden spoon to combine everything with a whipping motion (to ensure the ricotta breaks up and the grated cheeses distribute evenly). —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025

The cheese mix was a solid balance of mozzarella to cover it and burrata and ricotta to add variety to each bite. —Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 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