1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
5 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup fontina cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
12 whole basil leaves, roughly torn
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and use the butter to grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
Slightly salt and pepper the eggplant slices on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Set up a breading station by placing flour in one bowl, eggs and water in another bowl, and bread crumbs in another. Season the bread crumbs with dried parsley, basil, oregano, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
One by one, place the eggplant slices in the flour. Shake off the excess and dip the eggplant slice entirely in the egg. Finish by coating in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. As eggplant slices are finished, place on a baking tray.
After you've finished breading all the eggplant slices, drizzle olive oil evenly over them.
Place eggplant in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Remove eggplant from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Place an even layer of the eggplant slices over the spaghetti sauce.
Top eggplant slices with more spaghetti sauce.
Place half of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the fontina cheese over the eggplant and sauce.
Top cheeses with half of the basil leaves.
Place another even layer of eggplant slices over the basil leaves.
Repeat layers with more spaghetti sauce, remaining mozzarella and fontina cheeses, more spaghetti sauce, and remaining basil leaves.
Place more eggplant slices on top of casserole. Top generously with spaghetti sauce.
Drizzle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
Place casserole dish on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, until cheeses are melted and the entire dish is hot and bubbling throughout.
Remove from oven and allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
