Exhibit 10.1

                              SEPARATION AGREEMENT,
                       FULL RELEASE AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS,
                            NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT

     AMERICAN  ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY ("the Company") and NORMAN F. ABREO ("You")
agree as follows:

     1. The term "this  Agreement"  shall  include  this  document and all other
documents referenced to herein.

     2. You are eligible for the following  consideration  only if you sign this
Agreement  and comply with the other terms of this  Agreement.  In exchange  for
this Agreement,  the Company agrees to allow you to voluntarily resign effective
February  28, 2001 and,  thereafter,  to  associate  with you as an  independent
contractor  consultant under the terms of the Consulting  Agreement  attached as
Exhibit A and incorporated by reference.  Furthermore,  when your final paycheck
is  issued,  the  Company  shall  pay  you  $17,700.00  (subject  to  applicable
withholding)  in accrued but unused  vacation  benefits.  Pursuant to applicable
law, the Company will allow you to roll over your  contributions and the Company
matches in your 401k account.

     3. In exchange for this Agreement, including the consideration set forth in
the attached  Consulting  Agreement  (Exhibit A), and in paragraph 2 above,  you
(and anyone claiming through or on behalf of you), release the Company,  and its
successors   and  assigns  and  each  and  every  past  and  present   employee,
shareholder,  officer,  director,  and  agent  of the  Company  from any and all
claims,  demands  and causes of action you have or may have had  against  any of
them prior to the date you sign this Agreement,  to the maximum extent permitted
by law.  This  release  includes,  but is not  limited  to, any and all  claims,
demands and causes of action,  including  attorney's fees, which arise under the
common law,  including  but not limited to claims,  demands and causes of action
for libel, slander,  defamation,  breach of contract,  and wrongful termination;
discrimination  under local, state or federal law; Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Americans With  Disabilities Act;
the Employee  Retirement  Income Security Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act;
the Kansas Act  Against  Discrimination;  and the  Missouri  Human  Rights  Act.
Similarly,  the Company releases you from any and all claims, demands and causes
of action it has or may have had against you prior to the date the Company signs
this Agreement.  This release includes but is not limited to claims, demands and
causes of action for libel, slander, defamation, and breach of contract.

     4.  As part  of  this  Agreement,  you  expressly  acknowledge  the  highly
competitive  nature of the  business  of the  Company  and its  affiliates  and,
accordingly,  agree that until April 1, 2002 you will not, within North America,
directly or indirectly,  own, manage, operate,  control, be employed by, consult
with or be  connected  in any manner  with the  ownership  (other  than  passive
investments  of not more than one percent of the  outstanding  shares of, or any
equity  interest  in,  any  company  or entity  listed  or traded on a  national
securities  exchange or in an over-the-counter  securities market),  management,
operation, or control of any business engaged in the production and/or marketing
of dry pasta for human consumption.


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     5. This  Agreement is not an admission of  wrongdoing  or liability by you,
the  Company or any of the  individuals  or  entities  set forth in  paragraph 3
above.  In fact, you expressly agree you were not  discriminated  against by the
Company  on the  basis of your  sex,  race,  national  origin,  age,  actual  or
perceived disability and/or any other basis prohibited by law.

     6. The existence and content of this Agreement,  and your  discussions with
the  Company  pertaining  to it, are  confidential.  With the  exception  of the
non-competition  provision  set  forth  in  paragraph  4  above,  you  will  not
communicate  or allow  the  communication  in any  manner  with  respect  to the
existence or content of this Agreement,  and the  discussions  pertaining to it,
except that the  Agreement  may be  disclosed  by you to your  immediate  family
members, your attorney and accountant or to governmental taxing authorities,  if
required.

     7. You and the Company agree that you will not seek to be reemployed by the
Company or its  successors and assigns or at any facility owned or leased by the
Company or by any entity in which the Company has an ownership interest.

     8. You and the Company further agree not to make disparaging  remarks about
the other party.

     9. This  Agreement  shall be construed in  accordance  with the laws of the
State of Missouri.

     10. This Agreement,  in conjunction with the Consulting  Agreement (Exhibit
A),  contains  the entire  agreement  of the parties with respect to the matters
addressed  herein and this Agreement  expressly  supercedes any prior agreements
with the Company, including but not limited to your Employment Agreement and any
amendments thereto. No change, modification,  or waiver of any provision of this
Agreement will be valid unless in writing and signed by the parties to be bound.

     11. You expressly  acknowledge no representations  have been made to you by
the  Company or any of their  legal  counsel  regarding  the tax or other  legal
implications of any payment made by the Company under this Agreement.

     12. You represent and agree that you freely and  voluntarily  executed this
Agreement and that you had the opportunity to consult with an attorney, and that
no promise,  inducement or agreement  not  expressed in this  Agreement has been
made to you by the Company.

     13. You and the Company  agree that if either party  breaches any provision
of this Agreement, or if one or more provisions of paragraph 3 of this Agreement
is ever determined by a court to be  unenforceable,  either party, at his or its
option,  may void  this  Agreement.  Either  party  may also  pursue  any  other
available remedies.

     14. You agree that in addition to any other remedy it may have, the Company
shall be entitled to enforce the specific  performance  of this Agreement in all
respects,  including but not limited to the non-competition  provision,  and, if
successful,  the Company  shall be entitled to recover its costs and  attorneys'
fees,  provided  that if the  Company  is not  successful  in  seeking  either a
temporary or permanent  injunction,  it shall pay your attorneys' fees and costs
related to the defense of the same.

     15. This Agreement is binding on and inures to the benefit of the Company's
successors and assigns and your heirs and assigns.


Dated: February 28, 2001         /s/ Norman F. Abreo
                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                 Norman F. Abreo





                                 American Italian Pasta Company

                                 By: /s/ T.S. Webster, CEO
                                    --------------------------------------------