We consider ‘λ-shaped random matrices’, whose entries are i.i.d. in the boxes of a given Young diagram λ and zero elsewhere. In particular, we study their limiting spectral distribution when the shape λ is dilated by a growing factor N. The moments of such a distribution are a generalisation of Catalan numbers, and enumerate combinatorial objects which we call λ-plane trees: these are trees whose vertices are labelled in a way that is ‘compatible’ with λ. Based on joint works with Elia Bisi and Marilena Ligabò.