What you need to do:

Make the bread into crisp breadcrumbs by baking the bread in the oven at a low temperature for 30 minutes and then whizzing in a food processor, or grate finely.

Lay out the cut aubergine slices, and sprinkle with salt to draw out the brown juice.

If you're using fresh tomatoes, pour boiling water over and leave for the skins to spilt and then peel, deseed, and chop them. Alternatively drain the tined tomatoes.

Fry the onions gently in butter until soft but not browned. Add the tomatoes and chopped basil to the onions and cook gently until well blended.

Now wash the salt from the aubergine slices and coat each separately with the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. A series of plates for each coating makes life easier.

Fry the aubergine in melted butter in batches. Once nicely browned let them drain on a piece of kitchen paper to keep them crisp. Now assemble the Parmegana dish. Put a layer of the tomato mixture followed by the aubergine followed by the cheese layer. Repeat this process until you have used all the ingredients and end with an aubergine layer.

Bake the dish in a moderate oven 180°C until slightly browned, this may take between 30-40 minutes depending upon the dish and the quantity of layers. To serve you can leave it in an attractive oven to tableware type dish or serve out hot on individual plates with a simple salad.

And another thing...

This meal does take a little while to prepare, but once it's done there's no last minute fuss. It's a great choice for when you've got vegetarians coming round for dinner, as hungry meat eaters will be equally satisfied - so there's no need to cook two separate dishes! It can also be frozen in its final uncooked stage for up to two weeks in advance if you are catering for a party.