about basil...
Another thing that you should think about is the age of your basil leaves. As basil leaves get older and larger, they begin to taste more and more bitter. This could be the reason you were unhappy with your pesto.
If you have basil plants, pick only the medium and small leaves. Also, make sure to deadhead the plant. Once a basil plant begins to flower, the leaves will begin to get really bitter.
I have a pesto recipe that I'm really happy with, but my pesto will taste completely different (and terrible) if I use older, large leaves. However, when I use younger leaves, it's transcendental.
I also toast my pine nuts. And if the raw garlic is a problem, cover 3 or 4 cloves with extra v olive oil, put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You will be able to pierce the cloves with a fork, and the garlic will be creamy. Put those cloves into your pesto along with 2 raw cloves. That way, you get garlic flavor,but it's more complex and smooth than if you only put in raw garlic...And if you're really a garlic nut, use the oil you cooked the garlic in as the oil for your pesto.
Good luck!