ricotta
Americannoun
-
ricottas
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ricotta
1875–80; < Italian < Latin recocta, feminine of recoctus, past participle of recoquere to re-cook. See re-, cook 1
Compare meaning
How does ricotta compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pizza, Pizza!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
5th Grade World Cuisine, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The key to perfect scrambled eggs is: ricotta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
If you cook them at a very low heat and add ricotta to give it creaminess and a little texture, it’s just a whole other thing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
The cream uses the traditional mix of ricotta, mascarpone and sugar but he blended in porridge, sieved it and added some ground toasted oats.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
They look bakery-case fancy, especially once the ricotta is piped, but the actual labor involved is satisfyingly minimal.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Kaira ordered lemon ricotta pancakes, and he ordered corned-beef hash and eggs.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
Ricotta: I find that most store bought ricottas can be very "wet," and in some instances, this can prevent your dough from crisping well, sometimes even turning the whole pie somewhat soggy.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2022
Furthermore, certain ricottas can taste somewhat plain, bland, or tepid on their own, so I advise seasoning your ricotta — nothing other than salt, pepper, and some Parm can really perk up those ricotta dollops!
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2022
The cheeses are mostly intriguing pecorinos and ricottas.
From New York Times ● Oct. 5, 2015
Like many "curd nerds", he got interested when he made his first simple ricottas but it wasn't long before he began building a cheese laboratory in the spare room of his small south London house.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 23, 2011
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
