8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)       February 13, 2008
                                                --------------------------------

                         AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                 001-13403                84-1032638
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 (State or other jurisdiction       (Commission             (IRS Employer
        of incorporation)           File Number)          Identification No.)

   4100 N. Mulberry Drive, Suite 200, Kansas City, Missouri     64116
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         (Address of principal executive offices)             (Zip Code)

        Registrant's telephone number, including area code (816) 584-5000
                                                          ----------------------
                                 Not Applicable
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
    CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
    CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01  Other Events.

On February 13, 2008,  American  Italian  Pasta  Company  issued a press release
announcing final court approval of a federal  securities class action settlement
agreement. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated
herein by reference.

Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

         (d)    Exhibits.

         99.1   Press release dated February 13, 2008.

                                   SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


     Date: February 13, 2008           AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY


                                       By:  /s/  Paul R. Geist
                                          --------------------------------------
                                            Paul R. Geist
                                            Chief Financial Officer

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit Number    Description

    99.1          Press release dated February 13, 2008.

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

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AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY                                          |NEWS
                                                                        |RELEASE

Contact: Paul Geist EVP & Chief Financial Officer 816-584-5611

 For Immediate Release

              AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY ANNOUNCES FINAL COURT
             APPROVAL OF FEDERAL SECURITIES CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
                                   AGREEMENT

KANSAS CITY, MO, February 13, 2008 - American  Italian Pasta Company  (AITP.PK),
the largest  producer of dry pasta in North  America,  today  announced  that on
February 12, 2008,  in federal court in the Western  District of Missouri,  U.S.
District  Judge Ortrie D. Smith granted final  approval of the settlement of the
federal  securities  class action captioned In re American Italian Pasta Company
Securities  Litigation  (Case No.  05-CV-0725-W-ODS).  Under the  court's  final
approval order all claims in this action against current and former officers and
directors of the Company have been dismissed.

As previously  reported,  the settlement  resolves federal securities law claims
asserted in a  consolidated  class action filed in August 2005.  The  settlement
does not resolve  derivative  claims asserted in separate  lawsuits  against the
Company and  certain of its former and current  officers  and  directors,  which
claims remain pending. The court's final approval confirms the settlement of the
class action  lawsuit for $25 million,  comprised of $11 million in cash, all of
which will be  contributed  by the  Company's  insurers,  and $14 million in the
Company's  common shares to be distributed  pursuant to the court's approval and
the settlement agreement of the parties.  While the court's final approval order
remains subject to appeal, the settlement was approved without objections and no
class member opted out of the settlement.

The terms of the settlement are described in the Company's release dated October
29,  2007.  A Current  Report on Form 8-K was filed with the SEC on October  29,
2007 with a copy of the Stipulation of Settlement contained therein.

ABOUT AIPC

Founded  in 1988 and based in Kansas  City,  Missouri,  American  Italian  Pasta
Company is the largest  producer of dry pasta in North America.  The Company has
four plants that are located in Excelsior  Springs,  Missouri;  Columbia,  South
Carolina;   Tolleson,   Arizona  and   Verolanuova,   Italy.   The  Company  has
approximately 600 employees located in the United States and Italy.

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