ricotta
UK[rɪˈkɒtə]US[rɪˈkɑːtə]
n
A soft, white Italian cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor, made from the whey left over from the production of other cheeses.
Etymology
The word 'ricotta' was borrowed directly from Italian in the 19th century. It originates from the Italian 'ricotta', the feminine past participle of 'ricuocere', meaning "to cook again" or "to recook". This name describes the cheese's traditional production process, where the whey—a leftover liquid from making cheeses like pecorino or mozzarella—is reheated or "recooked". The heat causes the remaining proteins to coagulate, forming the soft, fresh curds of ricotta. Thus, the term's literal meaning, "recooked", directly reflects its culinary method of creation.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Italian. It is not productively segmented into meaningful morphemes in English. In its source language, it is analyzed as 'ri-' (a prefix meaning "again") + 'cotta' (past participle of 'cuocere', meaning "to cook"), but this structure is not a direct substring decomposition of the English spelling 'ricotta'.
Examples
The lasagna recipe calls for a layer of ricotta mixed with spinach and egg.
She spread some fresh ricotta on toasted bread and drizzled it with honey.
For a lighter dessert, try cannoli filled with sweetened ricotta cheese.