How to pronounce ricotta

Italians pronounce every letter in every word. This is an interesting contrast to French, a language I studied for eight years, which sometimes ignores the pronunciation of the last half of a word and replaces it with a breathy noise.

Ricotta (pronounced [riˈkɔtta] in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Ricotta curds are creamy white in appearance, and slightly sweet in taste.

Dussi said. “The only letter you don’t pronounce is the silent h.” That is, pronounce all final vowels, including the final sound in manicotti. For the word bella, which means beautiful and contains a double consonant, the correct pronunciation is “bel-la” not “bel-a,” she said.