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)        June 1, 2006
                                                --------------------------------

                         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
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         (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 5.02  Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
           Appointment of Principal Officers.

     Effective  June 1, 2006,  the Board of Directors of American  Italian Pasta
Company (the  "Company")  appointed Mr. Ronald C.  Kesselman to fill an existing
vacancy on the Board of Directors.  Mr.  Kesselman fills a vacancy in a class of
directors  that will stand for  re-election at the Company's next Annual Meeting
of Stockholders.

     There have been no related party  transactions  between the Company and Mr.
Kesselman.  A copy of the press release  announcing this appointment is attached
hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.


Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

            (d)     Exhibits.

           99.1    Press release dated June 1, 2006.

                                   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: June 1, 2006                    AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY


                                           By:  /s/ George D. Shadid
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                     George D. Shadid
                                                     Chief Financial Officer

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit Number             Description
- --------------             -----------

    99.1                   Press release dated June 1, 2006.

EX-99

_________________________________________________________________________
AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY                                           |NEWS
                                                                         |RELEASE

Contact: George Shadid - EVP & Chief Financial Officer 816-584-5621 gshadid@aipc.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                         American Italian Pasta Company
                Elects Ronald C. Kesselman to Board of Directors

KANSAS CITY,  MO, June 1, 2006 - American  Italian  Pasta  Company  (NYSE:  PLB)
announced  today  the  appointment  of  Ronald  C.  Kesselman  to its  Board  of
Directors.  With Mr. Kesselman's addition,  the Company's board is now comprised
of nine independent directors.

Ron Kesselman has a 30-year  career of holding  senior  executive and management
positions with consumer products and food processing companies.  He is currently
a  consumer  products  consultant  with the  Berwind  Group,  a  privately  held
enterprise,  and was  previously  the  Chairman and Chief  Executive  Officer of
Elmer's  Products.  Mr.  Kesselman  has also  served in a number  of  management
positions with Fortune 500 companies, including Borden, Inc., Mattel Corporation
and Quaker  Oats  Company.  Mr.  Kesselman  is a graduate of the  University  of
Wisconsin and received a Masters of Business  Administration  from  Northwestern
University.

Founded  in 1988 and based in Kansas  City,  Missouri,  American  Italian  Pasta
Company is the largest producer and marketer 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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