ricotta

American  

[ri-kot-uh, -kaw-tuh, ree-kawt-tah] / rɪˈkɒt ə, -ˈkɔ tə, riˈkɔt tɑ /

noun

1. a soft Italian cheese that resembles cottage cheese.

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ricotta British  

/ rɪˈkɒtə /

noun

1. a soft white unsalted cheese made from sheep's milk, used esp in making ravioli and gnocchi

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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:

• mascarpone vs. ricotta
• ricotta vs. cottage cheese

Example Sentences

The ricotta continues to cool the heat and adds a silky, delicate element to the fiery dish.

From Salon

I paired it with rigatoni, Italian sausage, some toasted bread crumbs and a dollop of ricotta.

From Salon

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

A Buffalo Chicken pizza with housemade hot sauce, breaded chicken, mozzarella and ricotta is as experimental as he gets.

From The Wall Street Journal

The slice of bread is topped with a spread made from ricotta, lemon zest and honey.

From Salon