Have a little salt on hand to adjust seasoning--will depend on your tastes and if you're using cheese
The secret to this recipe is in the first "prep" steps-- all we're doing is trying to heighten the flavors of all the individual ingredients so when they come together, they shine.
First, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes, 5 tops. Shake the pan every 30 seconds or so to make sure they get evenly toasty, but not burned. They have a high oil content, so they'll fry easily. Once toasted--smelling great and light golden color--set aside.
In the same dry skillet, toast the garlic cloves over medium-high heat, still in their paper wrappers. This takes away a little bit of the sharpness and imparts some of that sweetness garlic develops when roasted. When the cloves begin to soften a bit, after 8 minutes or so, remove from heat and from paper wrapper. Coarsely chop.
Last prep step: bruise the basil leaves. Either crunch them (gently) in your hands, or put in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin. The bruising allows the aroma to come through.
Now place everything except the oil--the cheese, nuts, basil, parsley & garlic-- in a food processor or Vitamix. Turn it on, and slowly begin to pour in the oil, stopping every once in a while to scrape down the sides. Once it's reached your desired consistency, taste it to adjust the saltiness. If it's too salty, add more lemon juice.