Creating a RESTful API with Zend Framework involves several steps. Below is a generalized process to guide you through the creation of a RESTful API using Zend Framework, particularly focusing on Zend Expressive or Mezzio, which is a middleware framework leveraging Zend components.

Step 1: Set Up the Application

1. Install Zend Framework: You can use Composer to set up your Zend Framework application. If you are using Mezzio (successor of Zend Expressive), you can kickstart your project using Composer.

   composer create-project mezzio/mezzio-skeleton <project-path>  

2. Select a Dependency Injection Container: During the installation, you'll be prompted to choose a dependency injection container like Laminas\ServiceManager or other available options.

Step 2: Configure the Router

1. Define Routes: Open the config/routes.php file and define your API routes. Specify HTTP methods and associate them with middleware or request handlers.

   $app->get('/api/resource', App\Handler\ListResourceHandler::class, 'api.resource.list');  
   $app->post('/api/resource', App\Handler\CreateResourceHandler::class, 'api.resource.create');  
   $app->put('/api/resource/{id}', App\Handler\UpdateResourceHandler::class, 'api.resource.update');  
   $app->delete('/api/resource/{id}', App\Handler\DeleteResourceHandler::class, 'api.resource.delete');  

Step 3: Create Request Handlers

1. Generate Handlers: Create handlers for each route that implement RequestHandlerInterface. Use the PSR-7 request and response model for handling requests.

   composer mezzio-handler:create ListResourceHandler -o src/App/Handler  
   composer mezzio-handler:create CreateResourceHandler -o src/App/Handler  

2. Implement Logic: In each handler, implement the logic for interfacing with your data model or services to perform CRUD operations.

   // Example of a basic GET handler  
   namespace App\Handler;  
   use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;  
   use Psr\Http\Server\RequestHandlerInterface;  
   use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;  
   use Laminas\Diactoros\Response\JsonResponse;  
   class ListResourceHandler implements RequestHandlerInterface  
   {  
       public function handle(ServerRequestInterface $request): ResponseInterface  
       {  
           $data = [/*...fetch data from a database or service...*/];  
           return new JsonResponse($data);  
       }  
   }  

Step 4: Response Handling & Error Management

1. Return Responses: Use PSR-7 compliant responses. For JSON, you can use JsonResponse.

2. Error Handling: Implement error handling middleware to convert exceptions into proper HTTP responses.

Step 5: Add Middleware for Common Concerns

1. Authentication and Authorization: Implement middleware to handle authentication tokens or sessions.

2. Validation: Add validation middleware to handle input data validation before it reaches your handlers.

3. CORS: To allow cross-origin requests, implement middleware to handle CORS headers.

Step 6: Test the API

1. Unit Testing: Use PHPUnit or other testing frameworks to perform unit testing on your handlers and middleware.

2. API Testing: Use tools like Postman or Curl to test your API endpoints.

Step 7: Deployment

1. Configuration Management: Ensure environment configurations (like database connections) are managed through environment variables or configuration files.

2. Deploy: Deploy your app to your chosen platform, whether it's a cloud service, virtual machine, or dedicated server.

By following these steps and utilizing Mezzio's robust middleware architecture along with Zend components, you can efficiently set up a scalable, maintainable RESTful API. Remember to check documentation and community resources for any updates or specific details related to the versions you are using.