ricotta
UK: rɪˈkɒtə | US: rɪˈkɑːtə
n. a soft, moist Italian cheese made from whey, often used in cooking or as a filling.
The word "ricotta" comes from Italian, where it literally means "recooked." It derives from the Latin "recocta," the feminine past participle of "recoquere" (to cook again). This reflects the cheese-making process: ricotta is produced by reheating the whey left over from other cheese production, allowing proteins to coagulate again. The morpheme "re-" (again) + "cotta" (cooked) directly mirrors the culinary technique behind the cheese.
Ricotta is a key ingredient in traditional lasagna.
She spread ricotta on toast and drizzled it with honey.
The cannoli filling was made with sweetened ricotta.
Fresh ricotta has a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
He substituted cottage cheese for ricotta in the recipe.