**Exhibit 31.1**

** **

**OFFICERCERTIFICATION**

 

I, Timothy J. Dodd,certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed thisquarterly report on Form 10-Q of Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc.;

 

2. Based on myknowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of amaterial fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statementsmade, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge,the financial statements, and other financial information included in thisquarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, andfor, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

 

4. The registrant’sother certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing andmaintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange ActRules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

 

a)designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that materialinformation relating to the registrant, including its consolidatedsubsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularlyduring the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

 

b)evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls andprocedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of thisquarterly report (the “Evaluation Date”); and

 

c)presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness ofthe disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of theEvaluation Date;

 

5. The registrant’sother certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee ofregistrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalentfunction):

 

a)all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controlswhich could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process,summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’sauditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

 

b)any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employeeswho have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls; and

 

6. The registrant’sother certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whetheror not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factorsthat could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of ourmost recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard tosignificant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 
| Date:  December 15,  2003 |                                   |
|--------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|                           |                                   |
|                           | /s/  Timothy J. Dodd                   |   |
|                           |                                   |
|                           | Timothy  J. Dodd                       |
|                           | President  and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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