You can heat extra virgin olive oil for cooking almost anything. If you need to heat the oil on its own before adding anything that might cool it down a touch and dilute the oil with other liquid, onion or tomatoes for example, just be careful not to let it smoke. I start many a dish by sauteeing sliced garlic and crushed chillis in extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil, the garlic and the chilli all benefit from gentle sauteeing with just a bit of sizzle. If your garlic colours, you've overdone it and you'll have to start again. And a soffritto is easily done with extra virgin olive oil. I don't use refined olive oil, ever. That belongs in my diesel car's fuel tank. If I want to use really high heat, for example to sear a steak or cook my oven chips, I'll use groundnut oil instead.