ricotta
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ricotta
1875–80; < Italian < Latin recocta, feminine of recoctus, past participle of recoquere to re-cook. See re-, cook 1
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Explanation
Ricotta is a soft, creamy cheese made from whey. Because it tastes mild and slightly sweet, ricotta can be used in desserts as well as savory dishes. Mixed with garlic and parmesan, ricotta makes a delicious filling for pasta shells baked in red sauce. Italian cheesecakes and sweet cannoli can also be made using ricotta. It's similar to cottage cheese, but it's smoother and sweeter. In Italian, ricotta means "recooked," a reference to the way this versatile cheese is made, by cooking milk whey that's left over from making other cheeses.
Vocabulary lists containing ricotta
Cheesy Goodness
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Pizza, Pizza!
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5th Grade World Cuisine, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ricotta entered the kitchen and told his frightened wife "I want to talk to you" - jurors were told - before going into the living room.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025
Ricotta dumplings chewed stiffly doughy, rather than like tasty, light morsels; accompanying pea pods stayed pleasantly crunchy, but for $28, the mushrooms were scant — and cremini, with morels in season.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023
I find the frozen ones a little softer and mushier, so they are better for dishes made in a food processor, such as this Spinach Artichoke Dip or this Vegan Artichoke Tofu Ricotta spread.
From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2022
Ricotta cheese is a necessary part of life, by which I mean it is a necessary ingredient in lasagna, and lasagna is life.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2022
Pour ½ cup of tomato sauce in baking dish or pan, cover with about ½ of the noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, a layer of sauce, a layer of Mozzarella and dabs of Ricotta.
From The Complete Book of Cheese by Brown, Robert Carlton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
