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.
There will also be shrimp tempura and Georgia peach and ricotta flatbread with hot honey.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
And the industry in general seems reluctant to adopt such “artisanal pizzeria” innovations as lavender-flavored pizza, honey-drenched pizza or vegan pizza made with cashew ricotta.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Oatmeal thrives on dairy and non-dairy alike: almond or oat milk, a spoonful of mascarpone, dollops of ricotta or labneh, tangy flavored yogurt, a little goat cheese.
From Salon • Nov. 13, 2025
A Buffalo Chicken pizza with housemade hot sauce, breaded chicken, mozzarella and ricotta is as experimental as he gets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025
She will not have to go to the trouble of making yogurt from half-and-half and sandesh from ricotta cheese.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
